Returning Faded Memories
by ChaosedPieEater
Summary: The world is in turmoil, just as one's heart always is. The past hids itself well and the future always changes its mask. Now, Eureka must find out Renton's past, present and future.
1. Chapter 1

**Returning Faded Memories**

**Place of Mourning**

_I feel like I've lost somehow… So many regrets, unfinished tasks, unfulfilled desires, and loose ends. How many people have I hurt? I wonder now, what are the results of my actions. I cannot justify my means with my end, nor can I say that everything I've been doing up to now have been correct. I have no present, only a past filled with anguish and suffering, and a future that I can only dream of. However, even if I cannot live in that future, I still want to make it a reality for the people I care about, and the one I share my life with. I have no more wishes, just one I hope to fulfill with my own hands…_

"The terrorist threat has existed on Bellforest for 10 years now, yet the children were not made aware of this. Why would it be in danger you may ask? It is the home of the first Human-Coralian, and the place protecting a new type of power. Because of this, many world leaders believe Bellforest has become more than just a little peaceful city. Why were the children not aware of the threat? Because someone stood up to them and with the help of this town, he was able to successfully protect the town for 10 years. Ten years of pain, suffering and fighting, yet he continued. This man is Renton Thurston; the hero of the world; who saved the entire world from destruction. My father… Who did everything to make my childhood a nice one, because he knew about the pains that would have to be faced by the future. He knew that if my future was bleak and painful, I would be able to look back upon it and try to bring about that to the future. It became apparent why this city was on the top of the target list, mainly because it was the known by the terrorists as the strongest defended city as well as the most heavily armed. The truth was brought out in front of me when he died, the citizens of this boring city weren't so boring, in fact, they were brave, heroic, and above all, amazing. As for the power that is being protected here; it was made by none other Renton Thurston himself; as a means to protect the city and probably the world. However, the plans to this weapon have been destroyed along with the instructions on how to use it. It was the fear that this weapon would fall into the wrong hands and be used for something other than its true purpose. The plans were destroyed, but the weapon was completed, but only one existed; the New Generation Compact drive."

The rain fell heavy around the grave. The many people that had gathered around earlier have left but a few. The remaining few looked onto the grave with grief and mourning. Etched into the stone tablet read:

_Renton Thurston 11990 – 12023 Honoured friend and forever remembered_

It was located not far from the monument of the first summer of love, a place that forever looked over the city. They hoped his spirit would look after them from now on, just as he did in his life time. As time inched forward, everyone left except for two people, a woman and a teen. They continued to look at the grave not feeling anything other than a dream. No - it was not a dream but a nightmare, something they wished to wake up from as soon as possible.

_It feels like I'm sinking… Deeper and further, I want to ask for help, but I'm afraid of who might reach their hand out. _

"… In other news, the military has declared a state of emergency after the attack on Ender Garden two weeks ago. It is advised that everyone in that area evacuate immediately to safe location deeper into the military's territory"

Eureka walked slowly through the house. Not much had changed since the last time she had seen it with the exception of a few extra furniture. She had paced through the house for many times after Renton's funeral. Everything was so natural, as if he would walk through the door in the back greasy and smiling. He would be asking for a clean towel to wipe the oil that had sprayed all over his face and clothes. The house had been quiet and not a soul moved; Eureka sat in the kitchen, facing the door she had been fully expecting Renton to walk through. For no specific reason, she got up and walked through the door and walked to the garage where all the machinery and things that needed to be repaired were. A van, LFO, and several smaller machines that Eureka could not identify sat there; she could sense a feeling of pride in the repairs. Each of them had been carefully looked after and seems to have their compact drives glow brighter then others. As she touched the door of the van, she could feel the age but she could also feel the strength and pride of the van. Looking over to the where the tools were kept, Eureka could see how disorganised and frequently used they were. She walked over to pick one up and felt its weight and greasy touch. Some of them were cleaned but their age and use was showing, and not too far from the tools was the suit Renton wore when he worked on the machines. It was greasier than anything else; she could see face marks, tools imprints, areas that were caught and several holes in the chest pocket. While his organization skills were still the same, Eureka could see his work was much more refine and the repairs were better then when the machines themselves were first made. Eureka remembered the old key she found lying around the house. It belong to none of the doors and none of the locks either. Putting it in her pocket, Eureka decided to keep it for safe keeping.

Away from the messy garage was Renton's small collection of ref boards. She learned that he started collecting them a few years after her "death". But what struck most was the long board that Renton had acquired. Though not much different from Holland and Talho's, it featured a more sleek design and one more extra stabilizer. For a moment she thought maybe he found another person; she felt red, angry, embarrassed, and worried. But her fears subsided when she noticed the picture of her and Renton on the long board many years back. It was meant for them.

The diaries that Renton kept allowed Eureka to have a window into his life over the past fourteen years. They were filled with precious memories as if he was expecting her to return; maybe that was his intention. But in those words Renton left behind, now became her only connection to him. Each word was happily written for her to read, just as if he was sitting next to her recounting the memories.

Eureka had read the diaries tens if not hundreds of times and as she wandered around the house imagining the things that had taken place in the diaries, she finally got around to carefully examining the pills Renton had been taking. Many were supplement pills, from the stories the Eureka heard from the others, Renton seldom ate. He was always busy with things and worrying even small details. It felt strange, to Eureka, the events were almost connected. She knew there was gap in her giving birth to Charles and the events now. But it felt strange to have to learn about Renton again, whom she felt she knew from head to toe. His every actions, how he reacts to things, how he treats around him. However, it felt like it all changed over night.

What happened? Where's Renton? I-I can't move! Renton! Renton! Please… Answer me!

"Miss, are you alright?" A man was hovering over her.

"Heh, Who are you?" Eureka opened her eyes wide now.

"We felt an earthquake in the mine and when we went to investigate, we found you just laying there all curled up. It's dangerous down here miss, are looking for someone, or were you lost?"

"I… I'm not sure…" Eureka tried to collect her memories.

"Is this Bellforest?" she finally asked; Eureka fully expected a 'yes', but the miner looked at here with wonder and closed his eyes to look for an answer.

"Well, this isn't Bellforest, I'll tell you that. This is River pool, uh… Bellforest is another 600 km away." Confusion and fear set in.

"Can you tell me how to get there? It seems like I got lost while visiting my mother" Eureka lied.

"Here, this is my employee number and here's a tram card. When you get home just send me a new card" the miner said as he wrote a serial number onto the card and handed it to her.

"Is it really alright to let me have this?"

"They're not expensive, besides, you look like an honest person"

"Thank you… Ah, what's your name?"

"Andre Capellion"

"I'm Eureka Thurston; I'll make sure you get that new card!" Eureka ran off.

"Playing nice guy now?" A man walked next to him.

"Ah, she's seems honest enough. Besides, being lost is a scary thing especially for a young girl like her"

"Yes, yes, now get back to work you lazy bum!"

While it took Eureka nearly an hour to get to the tram station, it took another hour to remember to complex network she would need to take to return home. When she boarded the tram, it was light and not many people were on it. She sat down and allowed her thoughts to tell her what had happened. Her memory was fuzzy at best, she could remember being in pain, and then she remembered, she was giving birth to Charles. Did something happen? That was not the end of her worries, as she looked to the ad in front of her, the date, was like a horrifying image; 12022/04/12. Thirteen years from what date she remembered. She rubbed her eyes to confirm the numbers. The ad was old and outdated as well. This very well meant it was much longer. As the station approached, Eureka got off and checked the news papers. The date stamped on it clearly read: 112023/06/22.

"It can't be… I've been gone for 14 years" she muttered to herself. Fears, insecurities and doubts wandered her mind for the next day and a half that she took to return to Bellforest. When she returned home at last, there was no one to answer the door. It was the home she and Renton went to when they returned homes from their one year 'Honey Moon'. Feeling angst and fear of some stranger answering Eureka left in a hurry. As she walked on she felt an ache in her back. She had been so caught up in the moment she did not realize that her wings had been missing. Now, just as before, they began to come out. Eureka hid herself and waited for pain to fully subside, she knew they were coming out again, but when they did, they were noticeably smaller then they had been before. Not far from the house was a pile of junk. Among them was a long trench coat an old hat and a pair of scratched sun glasses. Feeling confident no one would notice her. She paced around the front door for a while. If was before a boy resembling herself and Renton had come along. She knew who it was, though it was their first meeting, she knew who it was.

All of it felt unreal. As Charles walked home everything now felt unreal. He knew his father was gone but he was fully expecting him to pick him up or wait for him at home. For the longest time, he was always there. As he walked around, the air felt tense and worrisome. People worried about attacks from rebels and how the military's forces have been diminished after several years of war. Though it had always lingered, they always had Renton Thurston to look after them.

"This is the worst…"

As he approached closer to his home, he suddenly felt the presence of Eureka. It was an awkward feeling, she was his mother, but something just felt out of place. In the past weeks after their reunion, he became very sensitive to her presence. She was the source of his father's anguish, but she cannot really be blamed for it. Being a Coralian was a sensitive issue and no one knew what would happen. Before he realized it, he was already at the door. Just like before, the door was unlocked and as he opened it, he quickly headed for his room.

"Welcome back" Charles stopped. Like a ghost, his mother had appeared behind him with a gentle smile.

"I'm home…" he said quietly. Without looking back he bolted straight for his room. This is how Charles spent his summer days, he could not stay in the house with his mother, and it just felt too uncomfortable. From pictures, he had seen his mother, wings and all, happily together with his father. Feeling like there was no end to this, Charles wandered down to the first floor and found his mother sitting on the couch looking at family albums.

"He came with us on a trip one time" he said, Eureka startled, turned to him as he reluctantly sat beside her.

"It was a school trip to learn about the Ray lines at the tower" Charles tried to avoid Eureka's gaze.

"It looks like you had fun" She flipped the pages.

"It was funny seeing how papa knew more about the Ray lines than the tour guide. To show us some fun he predicted where the waves would be coming in. We found the best spot for reffing that day"

"He held up his hand like this, closed his eyes and when he opened them, he pointed to a spot and said that's a good one" Charles held up his hand. Eureka let out a light chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"I taught him how to do that, a long time ago"

"You can read the waves too?"

"Sure, before I met Renton, the only things I trusted were Holland, Nirvash and the waves themselves. But, I guess at one point Renton learned to read the waves better than me"

"How are Maurice and the kids doing?"

"Calling them kids is a bit off now, papa managed to set them off nicely on their dreams" A few more turns into the book and Eureka could see a recent photo of them. The little kids that she remembered were all grown up.

"Brother Maurice is a photographer working under Stoner the last time I saw him, he took most of these pictures"

"He's gotten really good at this" Eureka continued to flip through the pages. As she got closer to the end of the book, the more recent the pictures became. The last picture in the album had been Renton and Charles sitting in the cockpit of an LFO. After looking at it for a while, Eureka embraced Charles for a moment, causing him to turn red and tremble. It was a different but familiar feeling. His father would pat his head while being really close to him. Just like before, it had a feeling of security and care.

"I guess dinner is done" Eureka said. Charles looked at the food they had just made together. He recognised most of the recipes and as they sat down for dinner, they carried the same flavouring as how his father had made them.

"It's really good" he said as he tried to bury his face form his mother. Charles knew he was treating his mother like a stranger. Though her presence, not much different from his father, he still could not accept it. He admitted to himself, his mother was really pretty and he could understand how his father had fallen in love with her.

"I'm no good… Aren't I?" Eureka said; she had sensed his anxiety towards her.

"It's not that. It's just… Just… Papa suddenly dying like that and then you– you show up out of no where" Eureka could find no words to console this. Charles got up and started for his room; she had gotten no closer to her son than she had in the past few weeks. While Charles made his way to his room, Eureka began to think: "Why did things turn out this way?"

Life moved the same as before. The events that took his father's life felt like they never occurred. Everyone returned to school, the teacher talked, and Charles continued to look out the window in his thoughts. However, from a distance he could see a squad of KLF, military Mon-Soons, and sites like this was not uncommon, but at the same time, it would be highly unusual for a wing to patrol the school area. Thinking nothing more about it, Charles returned to his text book trying to absorb the material like he always does.

Eureka stood outside, spreading sheets into the clothes line. Everything was feigned now; in her memories, Renton would not be far. When she wanted to see him, she would move to garage to find him under or over some machine, covered in oil, fumes and sweat. Eureka was thrown into a world she did not know, without anyone to connect to, just as she was before a blank slate.

Author's Note: Hello there everyone (or at least people that are actually reading this). For those that followed the older version of this on the E7 forums, I have decided to scrap the original and completely redo it. I plan to release a chapter every week and hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my promise. Also, fo those new to this, this is a sequal to 'Alone with Fourteen years' so read that if you don't seem to under stand what's happening. That's it for my rant now, under next time (when ever that is...).


	2. Chapter 2

**Look up, brace, and run!**

Holland sat in the captain's seat of the Gekko-Go, life had become routine; he was almost bored of it. Since the second summer of love almost two decades ago, the Gekko-Go had become a full fledged transport. Stripped of its forward lasers and most of its missile bays turned into cargo holds, the vessels only retained a handful of defence systems that it once had.

"Here sits the great Holland, sitting on his ass getting fat" Richard came from behind.

"It's not like I have a choice, we're a civilian transport now, and besides, I'm getting old. Legs and back aren't like their SOF days" Holland casually said.

"Quite a mess Dewey's made… Even to this end his influences still won't let up." Richard gazed into the direction Holland looked.

"Restructuring the military was all you could do. With such a large portion of turning rouge, it's only natural. You best watch your head, they'll come"

"I chose the Gekko-Go because it feels safe here, I trust the great Holland to handle any military goons that come our way" Richard made a hasty exit as Holland gave an annoyed look. Sitting there like he had always done, he heard an alarm go off. Moving up he turned on the communication channels.

"Civilian vessel, this is Delta wing of the 14th battle group, Bastion, please identify yourself" The Mon-Soono that came up said.

"This is Holland Novak of the Gekko-Go; we are a civilian transport heading to the capital"

"IFF code confirmed, please continue. I would also advise you to be cautious in the area ahead" Holland suddenly felt interested.

"Did something happen?"

"We caught some ORA supply vessels in that area; we think there maybe a base in that area. Just be wary of hostile forces" Holland could see the KLF pull away. Taking a breather he started to call the hanger

"Hey could you get my 909 warmed up?" The man in white on the other end looked confused as Holland hung up. Moving to the Ken-Goh's old seat, Holland began to flip some switches.

"Something happen?" Talho came up from behind.

"Seems like we may get some action out here" Hopping into the gunner's seat, Holland checked what remained on his neutered ship.

"I don't think it's something we need to worry about, but it's good to be ready. I'll patrol the area around the Gekko-Go" Holland got up and made his way to the hanger. The scientists that were accompanying Richard had done as Holland instructed and primed his 909 for launch.

"This is the 909 launching!" The catapult threw the LFO into the air and Holland began his patrol around the ship. Taking a look at the immediate surrounding, Holland pushed his LFO forward.

"I'll check out the area ahead, if there's any trouble, get ready to call that wing back" taking a look into the radar, there had been nothing but him and the Gekko-Go. The action that he had anticipated never came and it disappointingly returned to the side of the Gekko-Go, but the dangerous air remained with them for the rest of the trip.

"Any trouble getting here?" the dock manager asked.

"Nothing but a bunch of sky fish, nothing more nothing less" Holland replied as he filled out the docking papers.

"Huh, I expected you of all people to get into some trouble, especially since the Bastion went down last week" the manager began stamping at the papers.

"What did you say?"

"Some rebs took out the Bastion last week when it went on patrol; they messed up the supply line so bad, the neighbouring cities don't know what happened yet"

"There's a bar on the 5th floor, you can wait there 'til your ship gets fuelled up again" the manager walked off to the office and Holland stood there thinking. He quickly returned to the Gekko-Go.

"Oh man, being cooped up in the ship is murder on the lower back, I'm goanna get some fresh air" Richard got ready to leave the ship as the door opened Holland stood there looking at him.

"Everyone stay on the ship" Holland dashed to the intercom.

"Talho, keep the engines warm, we're getting out of here as soon as the Gekko-Go refuels!"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah… They're coming"

A long range missile fired and hit the tower. On the horizon, five ORA battleships headed towards them. The military had been quick to scramble two wings of KLF but against the over whelming amount of the enemy KLF, they did not last long. Transports, freighters and other civilian vessels began to flee the tower; desperate to reach the RAY line and escape the slaughter. Many of which did not reach far because the enemy KLF had already begun murdering them.

"I'll cover our escape, open the hatch when the Gekko-Go reaches the RAY line, we have to warn the outside about this!" Holland got to work dispatching two KLFs. The Gekko-Go fired its engines and began making for the RAY line as vessels around them were getting destroyed one by one. The military presence in the tower barely scrapped together a wing of KLF and finally cleared the flight deck enough to the launch them.

"This the Holland Novak, pilots, follow my lead!" In the blistering confusion of the battle, the pilots followed Holland's words without a second thought. With an ex-SOF operative leading them, they proved to be extremely efficient in protecting the civilians; with the transports almost reaching safety, Holland began to make for the Gekko-Go. Thanks to Holland's warning beforehand, the tower was actually in the final stage of evacuation. Knowing they had no hope of holding the tower, the KLFs headed for the Gekko-Go for safety.

"Get into the Gekko-Go, I'll cover you guys!" Holland made a rush back into the swarms of ORA KLF as the four reached the Gekko-Go.

"They really want that tower…" he was surrounded. He realized the KLF had advanced enough to be with in strike distance of the Gekko-Go; he had to return or else he may not live through this. But in his rush, he made a fatal error; the enemy pilots were quick to pick up on the blunder.

"Sir, we've lost contact with the Sanka tower"

"See if you can get a transmission through, helm, set course for the Sanka tower" The battleship began to bank right, making a hard right turn. As the area came into view, the captain and the crew could see the tower lit with fire and three or four battleships continuing their bombardment of it. The communication officer finally got a transmission.

"To any Federation ships in the area, we've evacuated from the tower but we need immediate assistance, the ORA KLF destroyed some freighters and transport already"

"Sit tight, we're sending KLF to cover you. Helm, move the ship near the RAY line to cover their escape, we need to make sure those civs, get out of there alive!" The Federation warship headed for the fleeing convoys and upon closer inspection they could see the Gekko-Go had just reached the RAY line and began to accelerate. For a gruelling 4 minutes, the last of the convoy left the area.

"Pilots, return to the ship, we're leaving the area as well" the pilots quickly responded and the whole area was lost to ORA.

"OW!"

"Hold still, will you?" Talho tightly wrapped bandages around Holland's arm. Looking e a suppressed puppy, Holland touched his bandaged head wound as Talho cleaned up the first aid kit.

"How lucky were you? If the kid had gone into the hanger you'd be dead by now!"

"I know I owe that kid, but I almost made it!"

"Almost and making it are two different things, you got to stop being so reckless, you're not a militant anymore!" Holland lowered his head and braced for the long lecturing he was sure to receive; but it never came.

"I was really scared…"

"I'm sorry"

"Sorry, to intrude…" A KLF pilot walked into the room. Between Talho's running make-up and Holland's bloody forehead, they could not look at the pilot for fear of the embarrassment.

"I was just checking if you're alright, you were pretty banged up when they took you down"

"I'm doing just fine" Holland said with a scoff. "Thanks anyway"

"I'm Lt. Rusk of the 103rd Crazy Ravens" he stood tall saluting Holland.

"No need to get formal on me, but I owe you one back there. You're pretty good for someone your age"

"I try to keep up with the rest, sir-, Mr. Novak" he fought back the urge to call him sir.

"Ah geez pops, you gave me a good scare there" Raymond walked into the infirmary. A nerve almost popped on Holland's forehead.

"Well maybe next time I'll ask you watch my back, punk"

"Sure, I'll sure you don't get you butt shot off, old man" Rusk backed off a little to avoid the crossfire.

"There they go again" Talho said with a heavy sigh.

The teacher had just welcomed everyone back from the summer vacation, as he began talking, Charles, who had secured his favourite spot, stared out into the open blue. A lot has happened, and he still could not feel the flow of time moving around and the surreal feeling of reality faded.

Eureka went about her usual attempts to organize the garage's tools and parts, a task that Charles deemed impossible given the number of years Renton had just simply ditched his tools in the nearest available place. After a few weeks of working on it, she cold finally see the progress of her efforts but the end goal was still not with in site. Admiring her work left Eureka in a trance that had only been broken by subtle shake from the ground. A normal person would have believed to be construction debris falling, but Eureka knew the shock well: an artillery shell. She rushed out the door scanning the vast skies, only to find an array of smoke trails heading into the town.

"-advised that all citizens evacuate to safe grounds. The military is currently moving into defend the town but reinforcements are not expected for the next hour-", Eureka turned off the radio and watched as the town bathed in flames. Getting into Renton's tow truck, Eureka began making her way to the school.

It came with a loud bang. A crater appeared just outside the view Charles peacefully watched. More came about, each becoming more accurate than the last; the students quickly scrambled from the windows. Amidst the screaming, confusion and chaos, Charles could see the sea of KLF in the horizon, each armed to kill, each with the intent to kill.

"Why the hell was there no warning!" the senior officer yelled.

"Our sensors are down; I'm still not getting a reading from the enemy forces. They've jammed all our systems!"

"Can you get a message out?"

"Barely, but the signal's weak, it may not make it outside the engagement area"

"Wait! There's a ship just with in range, maybe it can relay a message out"

"Hail it!"

Eureka had now reached the school but the crater riddled building had been abandoned and the occupants all but gone. Nothing more could be done here, Eureka continued her search for her son. Her memories told her of a bomb shelter built close to the school, seeing that as her best chance, she turned the truck around and made her way to the shelter.

"Move it! Get the injured to safety" a man shouted, Eureka could see him directing the flow of human traffic but the number of injured around his feet piled up.

"Could you tell me where the shelter it, I'll drive them there" Eureka rolled down the window.

"Oh man, am I glad to see a truck. Kent, Sam, help me move the injured!" the three men were quick and in moving them onto the back; with a sign of gratitude, they pointed Eureka in the right direction. While the shelter would be a short enough walk, with injured and dying people made it an impossible task with bombs going off left and right. The shelter came into view and upon arrival, Eureka simply handed over the keys to one of the soldiers and instructed them to help move from further in the town. The shelter was over crowded, with many people asking others if they had seen loved ones and many others crying.

"Miss, have you seen my daughter, please!" an elderly woman pleaded to Eureka. The woman was bawling her eyes out and all she could do was shake her head. The woman let out a small 'thank you' and moved on to asking other refugees. Eureka scanned the whole area, looking for the distinctive hair colour that would give away her son's location. But to no avail. Wandering deeper into the shelter, she could see some school children, Eureka could tell the ages were too far apart to be grouped together with Charles. In the complete chaos and disarray, Eureka felt drawn to the city's tower.

"Everyone, in single file, please enter the building" Charles followed his teachers closely into the tower's underground shelter. The rumbling the dust falling made the ordeal feel surreal. Looking back, Charles could see the KLFs duelling in the sky and many stray missiles hitting nearby buildings.

Charles looked into the direction of an empty and dark hall way. Something called him. The voice was not human, nor was it a voice. He was compelled to look further. He was near the end of the group so sneaking away was easy; he just had to wait for the right chance. Another deep rumble made everyone duck; Charles quickly made his way down the corridor. No one knew, and no one cared. The further he went in, the more the voice sounded like wind.

"What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself. He walked further and further inquiring his question.

"I should go back" without looking, he hit something. In his recoil, he saw his mother.

"M-mom!" Eureka swooped down and embraced her offspring.

"I'm so glad you're safe" she said through teary eyes. Charles wiggled a little.

"I'm f-fine" Charles found it hard to breath through his mother's chest. Another deep rumble ruined the touching reunion.

"We should find somewhere safe" Eureka let go and they turned around looking. Just to the left of their location, marked a large door that read 'Carrier 7' and the side was partially exposed. Curiously, they entered the room. It was dark, damp and they had no sense of direction. But they both understood, whatever was calling them, was in here, watching them. The shadowy figure in near darkness was menacing. The total lost of sight had forced them to rely on it for guidance. The figure was cold and hard, the same feeling of rusted metal finally registered in their brain. Perhaps it was the shaking outside, or maybe a stray animal, but the low growl and uncertainty could easily make anyone believe a monster was next to them.

"Are you scared?"

"Of course not! Papa never got me to believe any of his ghost stories" Eureka hid a chuckle under her breath. She knew he was lying; one could call it a mother's intuition. But it certainly relieved the stress that had built up in their suspense.

"Did he tell you about the one with the hook hand?"

"Yeah, it was a lousy story and he even went to the trouble of hiding a hook on the door knob"

"He tried that on me too, but I heard him put it on" It was funny how in the mist of danger, they finally found something to laugh about.

Eureka and Charles continued to joke at Renton's 'scary' stories and how hard he tried to get people scared. They laughed at his failures to do so and how he always had the heart to do these things.

"Oh, oh! What about the one with the fisherman?" the tension was all but gone at this point. A little laughter saved the day. Eureka then felt a switch on the wall. It was wedged between the figure and the side, thinking she had nothing to lose, she flipped it. The lights came on and the figure revealed its identity.

"What is it?" Charles knew the answer: A LFO. The flame painted LFO sat there in vehicle mode silently. It was not something special but the image of it was very alluring.

A loud bang broke the absolute silence. Sensing the danger approaching, Charles and Eureka jumped into the cockpit. It was different, the seat held the pilot as a motorcyclist and the controls were off on the sides of the cockpit. Eureka got on top of the seat and Charles instinctively got behind her back. The seat felt weird, the chest was supported by a pillow duct taped to a motorcycle seat and Eureka could see the main control panel was held together by screws at different angels and at least forty meters of duct tape.

"There's no key…" Eureka remembered the key she found in her house; it was a long shot for sure, but she felt it might work. She inserted the key into the slot and to her surprise; the key not only fit, but turned the LFO on. The key found its master. The details of the cockpit was now visible and in the corner, tucked in the metal column, was a picture of herself two months before Charles as born.

Without a doubt, this was Renton's own personal LFO.

Author's note: Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it and hoping I can keep it up next week. :) - :( - ;( - -_-"


	3. Chapter 3

**See the Freedom Reflected in the Skies**

"Good thing you made it here Ryohei!"

"How are you holding up?"

"We're hurting, sir. They sent in every damn KLF in the ORA fleet, I think I've got some minor damage to stabilizers, nothing too serious I guess. Anyone see any problems?" The newly arrived trio of KLF joined with the damaged pair.

"Alright boys, we need to make sure the people get to shelters so double time people, move it!" the KLFs engaged their afterburners and headed to the field of engagement. The six KLF manoeuvred themselves into formation and before long they could see their comrades fighting ORA KLF.

"It's damn good to see ya, sir!"

"Just hold out for a few more minutes! Reinforcements are heading our way!" the leader of the squad pulled out of a dive to avoid a pack of missiles heading towards him. Pressing the advantage of their numbers, the UF KLF were able to dispatch the enemy quickly, but just as they thought they could take a breather before reinforcing other areas, they saw another large set of ORA KLF heading their way.

"Oh god! When will this end?"

"Alright everybody, if we make it through this I'll get you all a cold one, all on me" Pushing his afterburners the leader got ready to release all missiles at a notice. The closer he got, the more he realized how he and everyone with him now was going to die. Eight on thirteen; not favourable odds considering all seven of his squad mates were damaged including himself. Among the chaos, the leader got a clear view of the battleships just behind them; truly, he and his friends were going to die. By now, only he and two others were left; his KLF could not take another hit.

"This is it, huh?" just as he was about to throw into the towel a red shriek raced across his firing arc. The three enemy KLF that were chasing him were disarmed, disabled and falling to the group in pieces. Taking a closer look, he could see the familiar flame painted LFO.

"Gah… Mom, I think that's too rough" Charles struggled to keep himself from flying all over the cockpit. Just behind the seat was a hole, big enough for a person to crouch into, this was where Charles squatted and the pained look in his face made it apparent it was not comfortable.

"Hold on" the LFO pulled back between two ORA KLF and pulled them off their long boards and throwing them out of the air. While the LFO was no where near the handling of the Nirvash, it moved better than standard issue KLF and could out manoeuvre them without trouble. The gripping on the controls was not as terrible as she though, but she could tell some of the duct tape that was wrapped around them was fresh. Certainly, this was the first time she had ever been into such a cockpit. Eureka had only experienced state of the art equipment that were often brand-new and progressively got better. This was not state of the art, it was not new, and above all else, the metal grinding sound felt like the LFO was falling apart. Any sharp turn would produce a rattling noise and Eureka could feel the control column was broken before. 'Death trap', 'Rust bucket' were words that hopped into Eureka's mind.

By now, a vast a majority of the original force was disabled and the remaining ones looking like they were trying to retreat. Carefully, Eureka created such an opportunity for them. But they never took it, instead, the radar, the one remaining instrument working, picked up another fifteen signals. Breaking from the main group, Eureka quickly surveyed her area and found all fifteen blips were KLF launched.

"Hey! Who ever you are, we'd best leave this area, we've got no chance holding it" the leader of the squad signalled. He and the other two KLF pulled away and began making for the tower. The chances for survival were much better there. Looking back, she knew even she, could not take on so many at once.

"Alright guys, listen up. I just got a transmission. Command reads about ten ORA battleships in Bellforest so the captain and his buddies are probably keeping them busy for the time being"

"They sent that many after us? Oh man, they want this place bad"

"Even if reinforcements get here, we won't win this!"

"Yes we will!"

"How? At most we've only got four all together, this place is gone"

"They've sent in the Arkson with the 73rd Drifters" Eureka could feel Charles tense up.

"Those guys… Coming here?" she heard him say.

At this time, the four battleships had gathered at the tower for their final stand. With the enemy actively closing in and dropping bombs all over the city, everyone could only hold on to the last shred of hope, the so called Arkson battleship to arrive. Eureka initially did not see why Bellforest was so important to ORA's plans nor did she see the strategic value. Until she thought about it, it was not a strategic value they were after, it was morale. From stories she heard, Eureka understood Renton kept active protection of the city and as a hero's son, and a hero himself, taking his home would be boost ORA's morale, and crush the UF's hopes.

"Charles… Is this place important to you?" Eureka asked

"It's a boring town with nothing to do. People live everyday the same way and like papa, they all just rot away like that. It's the worst kind of town"

"Do you want to see it destroyed" Charles could not find the answer to that question but he knew it held something special to him.

Eureka once again gripped the handles; she was ready to defend this town with all her might. She knew this is Renton's home and it became her home too. The sad memories, the happy memories, they were here and above all else this is where she met him, all those years ago.

"Get ready boys, either we take them down here, or we die trying" the captain of the second battleship to the right said. Everyone tensed up which was only broken when a large laser's firing arc scored a direct hit on one of the enemy warships on the far right.

"Who fired that?"

"It's from the rayline. It's the Arkson!"

The ship was smaller than the ORA battleships but it certainly packed a lot of weapons across the ship. The ship largely resembled the Gekko-Go but it was painted red with blue and white highlights. The catapult opened and quickly launched LFO into the middle of the enemy forces. One could say they were like daredevils. Eureka zoomed in the screen only to see unfamiliar LFO. The first to arrive was an orange LFO in vain of a 909, the rest were just as customized as the first. In total the Arkson launched four LFO into the crowd before making another shot at two of the other warships. The remaining ships began the gruelling task of turning to face the Arkson. Amidst the confusion, the ships guarding the tower launched an attack of their own and threw the ORA ships into disarray. The counter attack had begun and the damaged Federation warships rapidly closed in on the ORA battle group. It was clear which side they chose to prioritize. Carefully, they manoeuvred to bring their guns to bear.

"We have to intercept them! Those lasers are going to rip that ship to pieces!"

One of the damaged Federation warships began to move faster towards the Arkson. However, the ORA ships had already prepared to fire and the Federation ships were simply too far to stop them. Eureka could imagine the effects of having eighteen lasers hitting a target would be. However, just as they fired on the Arkson, an array of missiles were fired that created a thick smoke screen. It was painfully obvious the shots missed because as soon as they finished firing another shot from the Arkson scored a hit on yet another ship.

"Now!"

There was a distinctive voice over the radio. The Arkson pulled out from under the smoke and was just under three of the ORA ships when it off loaded all its missiles into the enemy's hull. The resulting blast devastated the three ships and in seconds they were nothing more than debris. By now the Federation ships were in range to finish off the remaining five.

"Hey old man! Looks like we just made it in time!" the pilot of the magenta LFO said. It was a strong and youthful voice.

"You should really learn to respect your elders you know" the damaged ship's captain rebutted.

"Now, now, remember they're still using those fossils to fight so it's no wonder they need our help" this time it came from the light blue LFO.

"You want to take on this 'old fossil'?"

"Anytime, old geezer!" the Federation ship then fired a shot that barely missed the LFO.

"Hey! That almost hit us!"

"Stop!"

A strong and powerful voice rang through the communication systems.

"If you keep insulting that older man over there I'll kick your ass!" the two fiery LFO were quickly silenced. The pilot, a young boy with dark hair lowered his head in defeat and mustered up a small 'sorry'. While avoiding the gaze of the captain he made a surprising discovery.

"Oh my – It's the Phoenix! Renton's alive! I told you there's no way he'll die! Renton!" the youthful boy quickly moved his LFO towards to the run-down rust bucket.

"Can you get free?" Eureka was trying to pull Charles out of the back seat. One of the screws had broken and the seat fell back, locking Charles in the back seat. She had just gotten him free when the transmission came through. She turned to it and realized that these people knew Renton. The youth was alarmed by the silence and sent wave after wave of 'Renton'. Eureka returned to the controls and found herself unable to answer them.

"Sorry" Eureka could only muster up this word. The youth paused for a moment.

"Hey, when did you get a girl? Aren't you afraid Eureka's going to get mad?" there was almost a laugh.

"Renton's not here…" to the youth, it felt like a joke. However, he got close enough to see into the cockpit and found only Eureka and Charles in it. He did not say a word after that.

"That's all I know" Eureka said. The large room seem to echo her voice. A large group of people stood around Eureka and a large man; each looking down at the floor with distain and sadness. The hefty man sat back and leaned against his seat. He drew a huge breath. Everyone else was silent.

"So… He really is gone" it had taken a full two minutes for the man to break the silence. He wore a captain's hat but had casual clothing. He face was almost covered in his thick beard. There was a large whack on the other side of the room.

"How is that even possible?"

It was a young girl this time. Her eyes were red and her cheeks flushed. Two of her co-pilots moved between her and Eureka. She seemed rather hostile to the Coralian.

"How can you even believe a story like that?"

She was on the verge of breaking into tears again. She shoved one of the pilots aside and ran out of the room. Eureka could see her light coloured hair disappear from view. Everything was simply awkward. These people appeared to be very close to Renton and because she spent the whole time telling them her story she knew next to nothing about them. She and Charles looked at the large man once more. He had identified himself as Captain Marcellus Markoh, the one in charge of the Arkson The people that surrounded her were the crew and pilots of the ship; a total of twenty-three.

"I'm sorry"

"There's nothing to be sorry about. If anything I should be the one to apologise. We… No, I let Renton down"

No one wanted to say anything more they all simply hung their heads in frustration and sadness. Marcellus lifted his heavy body off of the seat and made his way to the door.

"I wish that our meeting could have come under better circumstances"

One by one the crew left the room giving their good-byes to Eureka before leaving in frustration and sadness. Once again Eureka was alone with Charles. He had not said a word the entire time she had been explaining what she knew nor did anyone ask him anything. The room was the dinning room of the Arkson, and like all battleship lunch rooms it was small with tables organized into rows and benches that went with the tables.

"Charles, I just got a transmission from your teachers. Go down to D-block-9 to see them"

One of the Arkson's crew returned to the room.

"He said all of his class is accounted for except for you and he wants an explanation"

"Oh! Yeah… I'll get right on it!"

Charles made a quick dash for the door and proceeded to the tower's elevators.

"He's a good kid, just not very considerate about other people's feelings"

Eureka realized the words were directed at her.

"I'm Chris Fern, pleased to meet you"

He held out his hand in a friendly manner. Accompanying Chris' black hair was a head set and he carried with him a whole array of communications parts. His clothes were a combination of a sweater vest, a brown shirt and navy blue pants.

"Pleased to meet you too"

"Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but after hearing that Renton kicked the bucket was a real shocker. Oh and don't mind Elina, she's always one to get emotional"

Eureka replayed the image of Elina's rage fit earlier. She seemed to withdraw and back off from Chris. He noticed her unfamiliarity with him and decided to let her calm down a little.

"I gotta do some maintenance on the comm systems, if you're looking for the hanger it's three corridors down. The bridge should be at the end of the main hall"

It was quick but Chris made his retreat and disappeared in the maze of halls and corridors. Eureka silently walked outside of the room. She looked around and finally decided to explore the ship a little. The ship was built in much the same vein as the Gekko-Go with stores and cargo holds in similar places. The main difference had been the doors and rails were painted blue and the overall feel felt smaller. Eureka found her way into the pilot quarters and found each door to be personalized to each individual pilot. Eureka thought of the word 'personalize' as a kinder way of putting it. The doors were painted, taped and graffiti. The names were written well into the doors. Miguel, Sam, Melody, Daniel and finally Elina; most of them were written as if a child was trying to make sure no one would take it. Eureka remembered Elina's hostility and decided against disturbing her. Within a few minutes, she found herself walking down the main hall.

The bridge was not like how Eureka expected. Instead of large windows and glass for viewing, most navigation was done by monitors. The window in the front which span from left to the right allowed mostly for forward viewing. However, Eureka recognised the floor was built with the same kind of display material as LFO cockpits. The lining at the top was similar. Like the Gekko-Go, the part where the crew operates was suspended so one could turn their head around as if the monitors were actually see-through.

"It's nice and quiet when we dock at places"

Eureka almost jumped. She turned around to find Marcellus sitting on his captain's chair as if he had just woken up.

"Hi, Mr. Markoh"

"Just call me Mark, it's easier to say"

"Alright then… Mark"

"Looks like Bell Forest really got messed up bad this time"

"H-how many times has this happened before?"

"Since I've been here? This is probably the eighth time but from what I heard it's closer to fifteen"

"Why are they do bent on taking Bell Forest, I looked at the map and this has no strategic value to them"

"You're certainly right, Bell Forest doesn't get good waves and it's too far to mount an attack to nearby bases"

There was a heavy pause in Mark's voice. He cleared his throat and began again.

"But then there's the morale value"

Eureka seemed to take even more interest now. She looked back at the ruined parts of the town and wondered what of value was worth taking from this quiet little town. The technology was just like any other state, and the resources was a bit lacking as well. However the word morale could only bring one thing to Eureka's mind: Renton.

"Taking the home of the legendary hero of the second summer of love would be a great prize is it not? For this war that has been dragging on for nearly seven years now, morale is the only real weapon we can use to fight each other with"

"It is really that important…?"

"People like to have something to cling to and so long as that hope remains they will hold on to it with their very lives"

Mark fell back into his seat again. The whole scene that lay in front of him was both familiar and foreign. The structures that stood before were mere rubble and what still stood looked as if it would fall at a sneeze. He could tell the devastation was a worst this time around and perhaps they may even have to abandon the town altogether. Mark prepared his mind for the many complications he will have to sort out and just as he looked for the best place to start a transmission can through.

"Hey cap, I got Elina. She was mopping around the usual place, what do you want me down with her?"

"Just let her be for now. We're going to be stuck in Bell Forest for a while anyways"

"Alrighty, oh by the way, cap, I picked up a few transmission from the Gekko-Go. The message is pretty broken but from what I can make out, they're headed here"

"Got it Frankie. You should to the hanger Mel was looking for you"

"I wonder what he wants… Ah well, Frankie out"

Eureka now walked by to the captain's seat trying to hear the message Mark was trying to play back. She could pick up Holland's distinctive voice over the static.

"Th- is- -e Gekko-Go, head- -g t- Bell –est, -in pursuit. I –peat, -is is th- Gek- -Go, -ed -er"

The message was extremely broken and the static was getting worst as the message wore on.

"Shit! They're being jammed!"

Mark punched the wall behind his seat hard. He punched in a bunch of numbers into the panel and pulled up two screens.

"Miguel, Sam, get your asses to the hanger we got trouble"

The two youths that finally opened the intercom were in the middle of sleeping and they slapped their faces when Mark shouted trouble at them. They gave quick responses of 'roger' and quickly closed the intercom. Within the minute they reported back, only this time they had already made their way to the hanger.

"I'm sending you some co-ordinates; once you're there I want to make sure the Gekko-Go is alright. If they're in any trouble I want you help them in any way possible. The Arkson will set out as soon as I get everyone back on board"

"We're off; we'll contact you as soon as we get there"

Eureka watched as the two LFO flew off. Just as they got a distance from the Arkson she saw them jump off their boards and land back on in a different shape: a shape that resembled the Nirvash.

Author's Note: I got this out a little bit earlier than I expected. Anyways, since you got here normally means you finished reading the thing... Hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Reunion: Set off once again!**

"We're not going to make it. Most of the reflector films are peeling off and they've taken out half our engines"

"How many are left?"

"A few stray scouts, nothing serious; but by the looks of things they're jamming the area. We're not getting a clear message out anytime soon"

"Tell your crew to evac your ship, the Gekko-Go has more than enough space to take you on"

The Battleship at the rear of the group was trailing further and further behind. It was a mess; the rear of the ship looked like some twisted sculpture and as time elapsed more pieces of the ship fell. Near the ship a few KLF were still fighting but the ORA KLF numbers got smaller and smaller until all of them were gone.

"This is Captain Mina, everyone's left the ship, I'll be making my way to the pods now, I just need to enter the self destruct sequence"

A blast came from the rear of the ship. Initially Holland was startled but then realized it was just the crew cutting themselves loose. As small military transports and escape craft exited the dying ship Holland opened the catapult and waited for their arrival. Under normal conditions the Gekko-Go could outrun any Battleship and if it still had its weapons it could even take on a whole battle group toe to toe. However, Holland fell behind looking after the crippled battleship which by now had blown up into a fiery ball. One by one the small craft landed on the Gekko-Go.

"To think I would ever set foot on this thing"

"This _thing_ just saved your lives. You should be a little more grateful"

"You should remember who you wronged, Holland Novak"

Holland picked up on the Captain's meaning and did not continue the conversation. The Gekko-Go began to speed up to the front of the convoy. Even though the Gekko-Go was stripped of all its weapons it was the strongest ship here. The missile bays and small complement of homing lasers made it the most heavily armed ship here as well as the best armoured. Naturally it was normal for the Gekko-Go to take the lead.

"Are we getting through to anybody?"

"I've been sending transmission after transmission, still no response. Only thing I've been reading is static and threatening ORA voices. This Ray line leads to Bell Forest; hopefully they might be able to help us"

"Bell Forest, huh? Interesting, I wonder what I can expect there"

The captain directed his words at no one and simply muttered them. The Gekko-Go echoed with the sounds of the crew from the battleship as they settled in. The hanger was already filled to the brim with KLF and various other small craft so the remaining intact KLF flew patrols around the ship instead. The comm channels remained quiet for several minutes before one of the pilots made a startling discovery.

"I'm reading two squads of KLF heading our way. Captain, this is bad, me and my squad mates won't hold out for long. It's already taking me everything to keep this bucket from falling apart"

"We've got no choice, stick close to the Gekko-Go; we'll try to cover you guys"

"Roger that, sir"

The remaining squad of KLF formed up just behind the Gekko-Go and awaited the ORA KLF to get into range. With each passing second the read warnings on their screens painted a terrifying reminder of the line between life and death. Each picked a target and watched in horror as the distance reading became shorter and shorter.

"Holland, this is Sam, how's everything going"

The pilots turned their heads. In the distance a pair of LFO flew at them with frighten speed. The jet-like form allowed it speed unmatched by any KLF form at the cost of manoeuvrability.

"Sam, take out those KLF now!"

"Roger that Holland!"

The blue-high lighted LFO released a burst of speed and passed the damaged KLF in just over a minute. Very quickly the pair had sunk their blades into two of the ORA KLF. As if blinking would make them miss the action they watched as the pair disposed of the enemy. Immediately after the first two KLF went down, Sam and Miguel regained balance on their boards and began chasing after the scattered KLF. Sam's next target was just below him and he let his board push the KLF off its board before firing a shot from his arm mounted laser to finish him off. Miguel let loose his boomerang blade and had it split his target in half. Their actions switched and mingled until the opposing forces was no more.

"That's the last of them, hey Holland, the Arkson and heading here and since you're just about to head into Bell Forest territory, you should be safe now"

"Thank goodness…"

"Well, at the rate that this group is going, we'll be another two hours before we reach Bell Forest"

"We'll keep you company 'til then"

In the following two hours nothing happened. Just as Sam had predicted, ORA was simply too exhausted to continue and sending that two squads was their last bid at taking out the Gekko-Go. As the Bell Forest tower came into view, Holland could see smoke coming from some of the surrounding areas.

"We're you guy attacked?"

"Yeah, we got their just in time to take out ORA, but the damages is already done. I'm guessing Mark decided to stay behind to look after the place"

"Why so soon…"

No answer came from the pilots. For now everyone was safe. The combination of the Gekko-Go and the Arkson at the same place somehow gave people the false feeling of security, but it was enough to keep them calm. In the large meeting room of the tower, Holland and Marcellus and various other people from the tower's staff came. Eureka decided to stay around to see what was happening. They began talking about ORA's movements.

"If they take that area too, Bell Forest is going to be over run in a matter of days"

"Given all the information we have now, I'm guessing we have another two or three weeks before ORA makes their move"

"And when that happens, not even Richard can protect Bell Forest for long"

"At the rate we're going, I don't think the Federation can keep up the war for very long. I got wind that the Federation lost Altaria"

"Altaria? Are you kidding me? That place was a fortress"

"Yeah, since they took Altaria most people expect the Federation to fall by the end of the next year"

"While ORA gets stronger, the Federation gets weaker, huh?"

Eureka could not follow their conversation any longer and left for the Gekko-Go. The last time it was here was when Renton's funeral had taken place. She did not have time to explore the ship again and seeing it in the dock bays gave her a nostalgic feeling. The interior of the ship had not changed much. The rooms and hall ways remained the same. However, most of the Gekko State member's rooms had become storage rooms. Where the former crew of the Gekko-Go resided was now occupied by boxes of all sizes.

Eureka walked out of the Gekko-Go; there was nothing there for her. The ship was once her only home, with the only thing that mattered in her life: orders. The orders that gave purpose in her life, something that gave her meaning so long as she accomplished them. But all of that changed, she changed. The prize of human compassion fluttered to her hands. Eureka reflected on her time as a person, a true and genuine person that only existed for a few short years. Opposite of the Gekko-Go was the Arkson, the crew of which that appeared to be very familiar with Renton. Eureka entered the large ship. Once again the feeling of uncertainty ravaged her mind. The familiarity and feign looks mixed together. At the end of a hall, Eureka could see a bright light with various mechanical sounds. Making her way into it she alas found the hanger of the ship. A vast and cavernous room; much larger than the Gekko-Go's because of the simply fact it held ten LFOs and still had room to spare. This ship had LFOs to handle any situation from light recon to the heaviest of assaults; this ship had the gear pull it off.

"Beautiful ain't it?"

Eureka was startled by the voice behind her. She turned around to find a large looking man in a tight sleeveless shirt and worker's pants. He wore a friendly face.

"Rufus Petter at your service"

"Eureka Thurston"

"No need for the intro, we pretty much know who you are"

"Re-really"

Eureka felt a little embarrassment.

"Ruffy, we got a problem with the sensor array, could you come look at this?"

"On my way! If you want to have a look around no need to feel shy about it"

Rufus ran for one of the larger LFOs, Eureka followed him to it. The LFO was one and half times bigger than a normal one and it help multiple missile pods and laser cannons around it: a virtual tank.

"Ah, I told you guys not to touch this one! Renton's probably the only guy that can fix it -"

Rufus quickly shut his mouth. The rest of the repair crew hung their heads.

"Are you familiar with Renton?"

"Huh?"

Rufus and the rest of them felt less awkward.

"Yeah, when ever there's a problem with machines, Renton always knows how to deal with it"

"I see… Did you ask for his help often?"

"Every chance we get. After all, it's in the Thurston name to always fix things up to its peaks"

"Mind if I took a look at it?"

"Go ahead"

Eureka climbed onto the back where the panel for the computers were located. She stared at it for a while and placed her hand on the cold metal. In a few moments she took a wrench and began working it. Rufus was dumbfounded.

"My goodness, you got it working"

Eureka got out of the panel to look at her work.

"Amazing"

"Renton taught me a few things; after all, we had to look after a troublesome one quite often"

"TypeZero huh?"

For a time, Eureka had been running around with Rufus fixing all sorts of machines. In her time there she got to know more people from the Arkson. Firstly there was Rufus, Tim, Siv, and Pan. Like Renton, they all had a thing for machines and seeing her being able to fix them made them run around happily. Some of the maintenance crew from the tower came with meals, a short break followed.

"I heard something about the Federation falling"

"Ah, that story? It's happened before; in fact the Federation was predicted to have fallen two years ago. Quite frankly it's a miracle they held out for this long"

"What does ORA want anyways?"

"ORA or Order of Agheha, a splinter group that broke off four years after the second summer of love. Eureka, you have to understand, not all people are willing to listen to Holland or even what some surfer punks have to say. Dewey Novak's words still run deep. I guess you could call ORA the task force that will carry out Dewey's will and ideas"

Eureka shrunk at the mention of Dewey Novak.

"The Federation was falling apart with leaderships falling and raising. Groups charged with controlling areas began to succeed from the Federation. People were killed, and hell broke loose. ORA used that time to round up support and began attacking Federation areas. If Richard and Holland had not been there at the time, the Feds would have died right then and there"

"Then… How did they survive?"

"At the battle of the capitol, Richard bet everything he had to gain support from remaining undecided groups. Out numbered by three to one, if he lost here, the Federation would have completely fallen."

"Then how -"

"Renton came. Even when they opened fire on him, even when they were hell bent on trying to kill him, he refused to fight back. In the end, he managed to stop the conflict and both sides backed off. This pretty much gave Richard both support and time to reorganize things."

"Again that guy performs miracles that are next to impossible, but then again, it's also his fault that this who war has been dragging on for years"

"Shut up Tim"

Siv threw a beer can at Tim spilling the contents all over his co-worker.

"What was that for?"

"For being as ass, now get back to work before I kick your ass into it!"

Siv proceeded to drag Tim off into the direction of the LFOs. Eureka sat there; she began to absorb all that information into her mind.

"ORA today is now aiming for the destruction of the Federation, and the complete removal of the Scub Coral from earth. After all, people still believe that Dewey was right in reclaiming the planet"

Rufus and Pan took a zip at their drinks. In the entire time Eureka had seen him, he had not said a word. By the end of the day, Eureka was exhausted. The Arkson had piled up a large amount of repairs for Renton, something she spent most of the day doing. From what she could tell, the amount of work was only a quarter done. By the time Eureka returned to the house, which was largely undamaged due to its remote location, Charles had already returned and hid in his room. Again, the air of hostility loomed over Eureka; she could find neither an excuse nor a reason for her visit him in his room. Eureka made her way to the living room and sat on the coach, her body finally had a chance to rest. The huge gaps in time were being filled little by little but the more that is revealed to Eureka, the more she hated herself. To fill her mind up, she turned on the TV and expected nothing but static but to her shock, the network had been repaired and news being broadcast across all channels.

"The opposition military today has made another attempt at the neutral Bellforest, again the lives of innocents has been lost. The Federation can no longer protect the lives of civilians. What we pursue is peace, but we cannot give that to you. No, our only option is war. I understand I am contradicting myself when I say we are fighting a war for peace. But if we do not, many more innocent lives will be lost, and many more hurt. I stand here today, and we, united as a whole, declare all-out war on the Human Liberation From!"

Eureka heard Richard's booming voice on the television. The man she had met not too long ago spoke in a voice she never expected him to have. She could hear cheers and clapping in the background. The announcer began a summary of the program but Eureka's mind was left completely blank. Her trance was only broken by the ringing of the door bell.

"Good -"

Holland stood in front of her.

"I assume you heard the news?"

Eureka gave a subtle nod.

"Then let's go"

"To where?"

"Why, to gather the Gekko-State"

"Huh?"

**Authro's Note**: This chapter is a bit on the light side but I guess it came out okay. Anyways, as a forward warning for the latter half of June updates may be delayed or cancelled at worst. This is due to my exams coming up and I need to study but once that's over I'll try to equalize the damage done by it. Oh well, hope you enjoyed it anways.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ride on the waves again**

A blond man sat lazily behind a counter. The security monitor just to his right yet not a soul wandered in his shop. The array of surf boards were in view just to his left and the rest were nothing more than overpriced sports goods. A short ring from the door met with two costumers. They browsed through the shop and picked up a magazine and a bag of chips.

"That'll be 8.75"

The young man reached into his pocket and handed him the money; they promptly left after that. The man reached and grabbed his gut, the fat expanded in his hand and he wondered when as the last time he had a figure like that young man that walked through his shop. He took a heavy breath. For the longest time, he sat there, waiting and waiting. Everyday was like that for him, just waiting for someone to walk through that door but he himself could not cross it. He continued to sit there just as he had for hours, just as he had for days, for weeks, for years. A ringing was heard again. This time, a tall figure walked in, the man's face almost lit up.

"It's been a long time… Doggie"

"I haven't been called that in years, Holland"

"Father Time's done a number on you"

Holland made his way from the door, Doggie or rather, James quickly got up to greet his former leader. James pulled out a chair and offered a seat to Holland who took the offer and sat down. James quickly made his way to the door and moved the sign to 'closed', he returned to his normal seat and was rather excited to see Holland.

"How many years has it been? Five, or was it ten?"

"Probably at Axel's funeral"

"Ah… How's Renton holding up? I haven't heard from him for a long time"

Holland paused; he was unable to think of how to respond. His eyes got serious and he took a deep breath. James seemed to brace himself for impact.

"Doggie, Renton's gone"

"What do you mean 'gone'? Did he get captured by ORA? If that's the case -"

"That's not what I mean. Bellforest was attacked weeks ago and Renton didn't make it"

James sank in his chair.

"There's one other thing I need to talk to you about"

James could see through the window. A familiar face stood there silently.

Charles looked on to the half-disassembled Gekko-Go. The various workers that climbed on it and the sparks that flew from the joints to the ground danced before becoming extinguished. Tresor, he had only been here twice; once with his father and this time. In the past three days, all he could do was explore and see the various projects that loomed in the buildings. Various prototypes of all designs hung from the ceilings like works of art. Some destined for battle, others destined for future innovations. However, the greatest project now was the Gekko-Go's refit. Once again this ship was gearing up for battle, the very ship that changed the world.

"If only your father visited more often"

Charles was almost startled out of his pants. He looked on to a familiar face. Morita, the same scientist he met the first time he was here. The gray hair on the elderly man was much more numerous than that their last encounter.

"He was always busy with stuff from people around town; he barely had time to be himself"

"The same could be said about his father and even about his father"

Charles stared blankly into to the cavernous pits of the Gekko-Go.

"A fine ship, we get orders for ships based on it all the time. Be it freighters, transports or military designs, they always seem to want one like this time"

"When something is told to be the being that brought a change to the world, won't you want one too?"

Morita took a deep sigh and left Charles curled up in his spot. For a while the sparks coming off the Gekko-Go entertained Charles, the way they fluttered to the ground comforted him. Just as he was about to relax, a hand landed on his shoulder. He slowly looked up. A man with a five-o'clock shadow stared at him. His eyes were darkened and his lab coat stained with yellow spots. His hair was messy and he stared lazily into Charles's eyes.

"You're in the way"

Charles nodded and quickly ran for the exit. He turned back to see the man still watching him from a far. The man placed his hand back into his pocket and continued on his way to the Gekko-Go. The technicians seem to avoid his path. Charles studied him for a while but as he unblinking stare continued, the man turned his attention to the spot Charles was standing in. Charles quickly left the room after that. The man was completely intimidating and that disgusting look he had sent deep shivers through Charles's body. Charles retreated to the out looking platform that allowed one to view the whole hanger. The Gekko-Go sat there as the workers scurried around it.

"Finished looking around the hanger?"

Talho made her approach to Charles.

"Y-Yeah"

Charles looked out through the glass. He could see a truck driving beside the Gekko-Go carrying parts to what seems to be a gun.

"The refit is going nicely; Holland's hoping the Gekko-Go's going to be battle ready next week"

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know. The only person that knows that answer is Holland and Eureka"

"Wait… You can't possibly mean he's gone!"

James sank deeply into his chair. Holland and Eureka could not bring their eyes to look at him.

"But… But… He's Renton! Adrock's son! The guy who brought the second summer of love! The guy who stopped the fall of the Federation! How could he be dead?"

"I'm sorry Doggie… We arrived too late to do anything."

James hid his face behind his hands. Eureka could see the shine of the tears on his hands. She felt she had no right to stand there. James remained silent for a while.

"Doggie, I understand that was not something that could be taken lightly, but again, I want you to come back to the Gekko-Go"

James continued his silence.

"I'm sorry Holland… I can't do that. Unlike before… I have a family to feed. And – and"

Holland placed his hand on James' shoulder. James did not explain himself further.

"Doggie, no matter what, that offer still stands. No matter what happens"

Holland and Eureka left the store; James continued to sit there. The sign outside still said close and James had no intention of changing it. So, for the next several hours, James sat in the store. He finally collected the energy to get up and make his way to the door. The clumsy excuse for a car waited for him. He started the engine and the familiar noises of failure accompanied him throughout his way home.

He pulled up to a neighbourhood and pulled up to a house just four houses in. He lazily walked to the door and stumbled for his keys; a routine he had become so accustomed to. Before he pushed the key into the key hole, the door opened and a child rushed into his leg. He let a wide smile run across his face and brushed the little blond child's hair.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home, Doggie"

Holland sat back in his seat in the transport. Eureka had been mostly silent on the whole trip. Silence was the best thing for Eureka right now, at least what Holland thought. The change was simply dramatic; without his introduction, Eureka would have never recognised Doggie nor would she assume that he would find work there. For now, the best thing for her was to calmly absorb all the changes around her. The pilot of the transport sat across from Holland.

"Where are we headed?"

"To Cosby, I'm pretty sure Mathieu can be found there. That's the place he said he'd be after his fall out with Hilda"

"Alright then, I expect we'll get there in about a day and half so make yourself comfortable"

The pilot returned to his seat and turned on the engines. Holland buckled himself up and watched as the transport departed from the ground. In the distance, he could see the small shop James ran. He turned his head away. For the next several hours, Holland planned his search for members of the Gekko-State. The constant update from Tresor came with listings that placed the Gekko State members all over the world. Jobs and Woz started a computer company so their location was easy to track. Stoner was one of the main attractions for a magazine company and Ken-Goh was enjoying retirement in the capitol. Mischa, with Doctor Bear disappeared somewhere for research and Eureka's three kids were completely cut off. Holland's old bones became impatient and he headed for the cockpit, the pilot still diligent in his flying.

"Still a long way to go, Holland"

"I know, I just don't like to be cooped up in such a small place"

"I still don't like this, the whole communication grid is completely disrupted, fleets are left out to dry and entire cities are out of updates"

"ORA was quick to strike at communication terminals in cities and taking critical areas for that purpose, Richard's stretched the Federation too far to be of any use"

"But without their aid, civvies are just going to suffer"

"I guess so"

Eureka moistened her lips after her long silence. Taking a gulp of water she stared out into the open, how the large land was carved away and a vast area below exposed itself. Little by little, Eureka allowed her tiredness to put her to sleep.

_Drip, drip. _

_The sound of water echoed around her. Complete darkness surrounded her and only her figure existed in this space. Eureka walked in one direction, she continued to walk but each step was completely disorienting. Her mind twisted and her head felt as though it was splitting. A presence was with her. She could not see nor could she find any evidence of it. Her senses told her nothing was there. But she KNEW something was there. It approached, but again, not sound nor sight showed. Her body was heightened. The presence always seemed to be in front of her yet when ever she turned it followed. It approached her. She began be back off. She turned her head again, a hand landed on her shoulder. _

"Ah!"

"Mrs. Thurston, are you alright? We've arrived"

Eureka's heart races so fast it threatened to rip itself out of her chest. She felt the cold sweat in her head. She wiped it away.

"I'm fine, I just fell asleep"

"I'll wait here like last time, tell me if I'm going to get more passengers"

The pilot began to fill out some papers. They landed at Cosby and Holland had already begun his search for Mathieu.

"Would you happen to know where we may find them?"

The pilot looked up and rummaged through him pile of papers.

"If Holland's looking for Mathieu, I guess it makes sense for you to look for Hilda. Tresor sent these earlier and they got a track that she landed here two days before"

The pilot tossed the papers at her.

"Oh, and be careful out there, Cosby may be a place to go when you're down but it's also not a place for a young lady like yourself to be wandering"

"I'll be careful, I'll see you later then"

Eureka ran off and the pilot resumed his work. The streets were amassed with people. Eureka wore a large coat to hide her wings but it still allowed her face and figure through, a feature some of the people on the streets took careful notice of. Eureka continued to look around. She approached many lodging areas and began asking them if they had seen Hilda. All of them turned her down. Eureka came to a store and since it was the last one at a dead end she felt she had nothing to lose if she asked inside. As she entered the store an old man with an eye patch sat there.

"What'll it be, miss?"

"Ah… I'm sorry, I was wondering if you had seen this person"

Eureka approached the man and held out a picture. The man examined the picture and in the corner of her eye, Eureka could see the man did not have one of his legs. He took the cigar out of his mouth and breathed a little. The store sold a large number of things, and by her guess, it was mostly likely a pawn shop.

"These people don't come to these parts. If you're looking for somewhere a decent person may go, I suggest you look on the other side of town. Here's not the best place for a pretty little thing like you"

"How might I get there?"

"Follow the main street back and there should be large intersection. Take a right there"

The man returned the picture and Eureka placed it back into her pocket.

"Thank you, sir… Um"

"You can call me Sel"

"I'm Eureka, pleased to meet you… And thank you for your help"

Eureka gave a polite bow and left the store. The old man seemed to blush a little.

"What a nice little girl"

Eureka ran down the large road as instructed and came up to a large intersection, she looked to her right and found it led to large road with cars and more civilized people. She ran into the street and continued her search there. Again she went to all the larger hotels and apartments but her search yielded nothing. Eureka began thinking with all the information she had. She continued down the road completely lost in thought. As she wandered she bumped into someone.

"Ah! I'm sorry"

"That hurt a lot you, punk"

The man was large and he was accompanied by two others. He had a large scar across his face and looked like he was ready to pick a fight.

"You know I can call you up for assault, right? I guess if you pay me now, I won't make a fuss out of it"

"I-I'm sorry, I don't have any money with me"

"Hey bossy, she's kinda cute"

One of the men bent down to get a closer look but Eureka backed off.

"Not need to be shy missy; we're all good people here. You must be lost, why don't we show you around?"

"No thank you, I'll find my way around"

"The boss here insists he take you around"

"No, I'm fine"

Eureka continued to back off but the three men continued their advance. Before Eureka could react one of them grabbed her by the hand and she tried to break free.

"Not need to be shy missy; we'll be real nice to 'ya"

Eureka froze in terror. She swallowed hard and turned to the streets.

"Someone please help!"

"No one's going to help you here, missy"

The man got closer but before he could do anything, a hand grabbed his shoulder. A punch landed squarely on his face. As the two were about to act, a voice rang out.

"Help! Someone help! There's molesters here"

"Crap, bro, I can't get caught by the cops again, lets get out of here"

The sound of people talking scared the trio off. Eureka looked at her saviour. She knew who it was already, after all, the voice and personality matched perfectly.

"Thank you, Hilda"

The woman looked at her with amazement, as if she had just seen a ghost.

**Author's Note: **Here's the new chapter for you guys to enjoy. Expect the next three releases to be a little spotty as I have to study and put this on the back burner for a while. Well, enjoy it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here and there**

Holland stood in front of the door. A door that moments ago was slammed into his face. For a few minutes his face expression did not change. In a long while, one of Holland's eyes finally twitched.

"Who the hell do you think I am?"

Holland kicked the door with such force the hinges fell off and stormed into the room like an angry bull. The interior was in ruin. Bottles upon bottles everywhere and everywhere was littered with garbage. Holland scanned the room and found a man in the corner cowering.

"Mathieu…"

Holland approached the spot. The room's windows were all block save for a small sliver of light that wheezed its way into the room. Holland walked away from the man and opened all the windows in the room and the light burst into the room laminating it and revealing more ruination of the room. The man seemed to avoid the light.

"Mathieu… You look terrible"

Holland got to his knees and helped the disgruntled Mathieu to his feet. He could only grumble. Holland cleared the couch of debris and set Mathieu down before filling a glass with water. Mathieu took a gulp from the glass before putting it down on the table. Holland scanned the room and could find nothing more than alcoholic drinks and TV dinners.

"I'm a failure… Aren't I?"

Mathieu's voice was broken followed by a forced chuckle. Mathieu lifted his head and felt the pounding in his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Holland took a seat next to Mathieu.

"What happened…? The last time I saw you, you were… You were-"

"I had a sure-fire plan at life… Go big with the pros… What a load of bullshit I had!"

Mathieu cursed himself and brought his arm to cover the light entering his eyes. Holland could now make out more details to Mathieu. The man was nothing more than sticks, even more thinly that he had least known him. The 5-o'clock shadows completed his look. Upon closer inspection of the room revealed the periodic fits of rage, the broken bottles, the scratches against the wall and the holes told a great deal.

"Why… Why did things turn out like this?"

Mathieu was on the verge of tears. Holland could tell he was reliving the failures that plagued his life. The tears finally found their way past his face and began running down his face and neck.

"Mathieu… What happened to you?"

"Lots of things"

Mathieu took a long time before he could answer Holland's question. Mathieu took another zip of water before taking a deep breath. He stared into the cup and remained silent for a long time.

"I had to run away from her…"

"Her?"

"Hilda… I can't face her… I can't face her ever again"

"Mathieu, what the hell happened?"

"She won't forgive me, not after what I did!"

"Mathieu, what the hell happened?"

Holland grabbed Mathieu and shook him. Holland stopped after he felt Mathieu did not put up any resistance. Mathieu lazily looked at Holland. The eye bags could only say that they had not had a decent night's sleep in a long time. Holland allowed Mathieu a bit of time to rest and collected his thoughts. After running sold water on his head, Mathieu seem to have gotten some of his sense back. Holland found a small chair around a solitary table. Mathieu returned to his coach and sat down with a thump. The energy was not in him.

"It was about three years ago. We'd figure the music store we'd been running would not last long after ORA declared that to be they're territory, and most definitely they wouldn't allow the former Gekko-State members to be there. All we could do was watch as they drove us out of our homes."

Mathieu pause there and placed his hands on his head. Whether he was holding the pain in his head or to hold the memories was unclear to Holland. There was one thing that was certain. Mathieu's breathing became more intense.

"ORA heard about us and declared us war criminals… They hunted us like dogs for months. No matter where we turned they hunted us. We couldn't get anywhere near Federation territory. No matter what we did, no one would help us. We ran and ran and no matter what we did, ORA just seemed to get a little bit closer. Before we knew it, we couldn't hold a place for more than a day before they tracked us. Everyday, every night we had to stay alert. It was nerve wrecking."

Mathieu gripped his head harder.

"We managed to catch a break, someone managed to get a transport out of ORA space. Or so we thought"

Mathieu let out a small chuckle.

"A trap to get us 'criminals' together. When they took us deeper into their area, we hijacked the plane and tried to escape. In the end, we were running by foot. At the end of which we had already lost most of our group. Just me, Hilda and two other guys remained. And… At the very end, I abandoned Hilda there. The train was the only thing out of there and Hilda was too far to get in. If I waited we'd both be caught… I had to do it!"

Holland landed a punch square on Mathieu's face. He gritted his teeth and held his fist tightly.

"What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure… I just know I saw her again two months after. I've been running from her ever since. I don't know what happened… But I know if I let her see me she'll kill me"

Holland looked at the scared eyes of his former comrade. He could see that he mind was broken long before this and this mess of a life was his only salvation. The tears rolled down Mathieu's eyes and he curled up in the spot he landed in. Like a small child, he could only sob. Holland could say nothing. They said nothing to each other for a long time.

"I'm sorry…"

Mathieu could only repeat those words; words that seem to be rehearsed every night and at every waking moment.

"Holland"

A voice came from the door. Holland recognised it immediately. Eureka's high and timid voice had always been like that. Accompanying Eureka's voice was her soft knocking. It seemed as though she found her way here as well. Holland slowly got up and opened the door. He face almost lit up.

"Yo, Holland, how have you been doing?"

Holland was speechless but in a short amount of time, Mathieu screamed and bolted for the washroom. Holland acted quickly but came up short as Mathieu shut the door behind him.

"Mathieu! Open this door now or I'll break it down!"

"No, no, no, no!"

Holland threw his body at the door but despite his best efforts the door would not come down. Holland grabbed the door knob and shook it vigorously.

"Damn it, Mathieu. Open the door now!"

Holland was about to get more violent when Hilda gave him a pat on the back. He looked back at her, Hilda simply shook her head. Holland promptly backed off from the door and Hilda knocked on it softly. Whimpers could be heard from the other side.

"How have you been?"

There was no reply from the other side.

"I've been doing fine… I guess you could say it was a miracle that I escaped from them. Mathieu, I don't blame you for leaving, but for now… I am willing to forgive you"

Once again there was silence from the other side. Holland who felt worried moved Hilda from the door and braced himself to break down the door. He silently backed off before charging as hard as he could into the door. He broke the door down and entered the bathroom with the handle still in his hand. Mathieu sat on the toilet seat completely silent and no one said anything.

"I'm sorry"

The first small words cracked out of his lips.

"It's fine"

By now, Holland, Eureka and Mathieu sat just opposite of Hilda who felt it was her turn to tell what happened to her after Mathieu escaped. Eureka smiled with the corner of her mouth. During her walk here, Hilda had already told her all about her side. It was interesting to hear it again.

"I was sure I was going to be executed for being a Gekko State member when they caught up with me. And I was willing to accept that. It Mathieu hadn't got on that train I would have pushed him into it. Anyways, Michael was still alive when they caught up with us and somehow got a weapon with him. It was thanks to him was managed to holdout long enough to find another escape route. At the end of things, we finally got out of the city and went out separate ways"

Holland nodded his head several times. Mathieu could only let out a few weak groans.

"Since then I've been looking for this guy. I was worried sick about him since I wasn't sure if he'd made it out of there. I kept an eye out for ORA's news to make sure they wouldn't announce his execution. Well, two months after that I saw him on the streets and he just ran away from me."

Hilda grabbed Mathieu's ear and pulled it hard.

"You really have some nerve running from me"

Holland saw Mathieu's face wench in pain. Somehow Eureka felt something became a little better. She began to feel what Renton's words meant in some of his diaries. This was one of those 'little miracles' that happens.

"So you can't come back with us?"

"I'd love to but you saw it for yourself. I have this idiot to look after."

"It's a shame. I guess getting things to work like they used to is an even more difficult task than I thought."

"Oh, before I forget this. When I was tracking Mathieu I came across this too. I'm not sure if this will be of any use"

Hilda handed Holland a piece of paper. He opened it and found it holding information on the location of Hap and Ken-Goh. He refolded the paper and placed it carefully in his pocket.

"And Eureka, you should take care of yourself. Renton wasn't too well in doing that."

Eureka gave a simple nod. Hilda looked up at the amber sky and seemed to find tranquility in it.

"Even towards the end he still does things like that… huh?"

In the distance Holland could see Hilda and Mathieu waving them good bye. The energetic motion from Hilda and a weak and pathetic one from Mathieu left Holland with a warming feeling. The Gekko State would not be what it used to be, but somehow the way the members found a little slice of happiness made up for it. Eureka and Holland returned to the tower and by now the sky was dark and the city illuminated with lights.

"Yo, we're done here"

Holland caught the pilot by surprise. The news paper that covered his face scattered all over the floor.

"No extra passengers?"

"None"

"Alright then, where are we going next?"

"Del Cielo"

The pilot remained silent for a moment.

"Alright then"

Holland opened the page and scanned it for Ken-Goh's name. This new piece of information would have saved him weeks of searching. What made him go to that place was a complete mystery to Holland. He repeated the name in his mind; the place where everything started; for the third time, he would return it.

Eureka looked out the window again to the city below. People busily living out their lives as if nothing had happen; Eureka felt only strange and foreignness again. The place she once only belonged would not return. She looked at her hand again. No, even if it did return, she would be like last time. This time, she knew what she needed to do and this time she will choose what she wants to do and what she can do. Today was an exhausting day and yet still they made no progress. Eureka collected her thoughts and strength. The beginning for a long and hard journey was not even there yet the world continued to decay. The city was almost out of view and the lights only continued to fade. The moon, the stars and the ring illuminated the lonely sky.

Charles sat in front of the death trap rust bucket named the Phoenix. The machine was at complete odds with how he perceived his father. Renton Thurston, the man who never liked fighting, who always looked at things seriously, who always made sure everything was perfect. This was a war machine with the appearance of a teenager's joy ride and with nothing that worked. He had only seen this thing twice with Renton. It's salvage from the scrap yard by Renton and him repairing it one summer. Never before had he seen it again. The old visor in the LFO's face was dirty and it seemed like this machine would never look nice and clean. Charles got up and placed his hand on the cold metal. He closed his eyes and picture what his father looked like once when he first found it. He placed his body like his and closed his heart. He opened his eyes once again. He opened a little smile.

**Author's Note:** Well, I'm pretty much dead up to this point. But here's the new chapter. Please look forward to the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**A Place That Never Was**

The twisted towers stood there imposingly. Their mangled structure echoed the destruction that followed. Holland looked up at them again and replayed the scene of carnage and terror in his mind. He replayed everything the happened here and the many lives he stole. A place long abandoned and the rubble now embraced by nature, the lonesome planets that hugged the remains and the small weeds that found their way through the cracks. Holland mused himself again with the thought. After so many years the place is only starting to heal. Nature, as he thought, was reclaiming the land, it deconstructed the ruins and began to build life around it again.

"If you're uncomfortable here you can return to the transport"

"No, it's fine. It is a place where I started to change after all"

Eureka gripped her heart. It was the place where she found it: a human heart; the will to protect something, and to hold it near her heart.

"Did you get a hold of Ken-Goh?"

"Yeah, he'd said he'd meet us near the settlement"

"Did he say anything about why he is here?"

"He wanted to talk to me about that"

Holland continued to walk to the forward and the caravan of people came into view. Eureka knew the scars ran deep and hid in her features behind a hat. In the distance Ken-Goh greeted them. As Eureka got closer to the elderly man, she could see his features have aged greatly; the grey hair was simply abundant.

"It's been such a long time Holland! You should call me more often"

Ken-Goh looked to Holland's companion.

"And who's this young lady? Not worried Talho's going to chew you out for this?"

"Ken-Goh, I have a lot I need to talk to you about, and you should how him too"

Eureka nervously took off her hat and showed her face to Ken-Goh. His face went pale and quickly pulled them into his van where he closed the door quickly.

"Eureka… You shouldn't be around here. In fact, you shouldn't be here at all. Does Renton know about this?"

"He doesn't"

"Why are you bringing her to me for? The first person she should be seeing is her husband!"

It was almost like a laugh. Holland lowered his head a little.

"I'm sorry to say this, but Renton died. Just before Eureka could meet him"

The expression on Ken-Goh's face dropped. Like the other members of the Gekko State that heard about it, their face twisted with despair and disbelief.

"I understand this is hard to swallow, but a few months back, ORA launched an attack on Bellforest and Renton was caught up in it. He lost his life in the firefight"

"That's a cruel joke to be playing on an old man, Holland"

Ken-Goh let out a rough cough. Be swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry…With the Feds still in trouble; I guess the news just didn't move fast"

Ken-Goh got up off his seat and looked outside the window. He could see the children running around and the adults talking. He closed the blinds once more and returned to his seat.

"What else do you want to tell me?"

"I want to talk to you about rejoining the Gekko State. The way things are now, they'll just get worst. If we – I'm sure we can find a way"

"Rushing into things like always"

Ken-Goh laughed a little. He looked at Eureka. Her silence was just as it was nearly twenty years ago.

"Ken-Goh, why are you here?"

Eureka broke her long line of silence. The burning question echoed in her mind. This place, no matter what, still made her nervous.

"No matter what, people are always drawn to this place. Especially those that knew what happened here. Even to this end, I felt I needed to do my part to fix this mess. I came out here to help the people heal their wounds and push other people forward. Many people were lost here; important people, loved ones, and many, many more."

"There are people that just can't move on, even after so many years. That's why I am here; I have to help them move forward. To this end, I think some of them are starting to come around"

"Ken-Goh, the Gekko State really needs you right now. I know this is a bit selfish on my part, but we really need your help"

Ken-Goh thought in his mind a little. He looked up once again.

"I'm sorry Holland. I'm not young anymore and I can't keep up with the things that are happening now. My old bones just won't let me. Even if I wanted I don't believe I can, these people, some of them really need me here. When I gave you the Gekko-Go, I also gave up on my life in the Gekko State"

"I understand… Just if you reconsider, the offer is always standing"

"Those people look happy"

Holland had left the room and stood outside to breathe some fresh air.

"Yes, Eureka. Those people just need someone to talk to. Many of them just don't have anyone to look after them. I managed to get them together. It's a good family I put together."

He looked at them once more. The child whose parents were gone and those that lost their children came together warmly. The despair was still there, but the happiness helped to ease it. Eureka put the hat back on and opened the door. The light rushed into the room and enlightened the feel.

"Good bye, Ken-Goh"

Ken-Goh returned the smile.

Charles sat in the seat of the Phoenix. Like most of the equipment in his father's shop, the controls were worn and old. The smell of oil leaked in, but it was a smell he had come to be accustomed to. He father always had that smell on him, no matter what time of day, no matter if he had washed or not, the smell was always there. It was one of the unique qualities that followed him.

"Hey Charles! You know how to move that thing!"

A loud voice came from below. Morita pointed to hanger 17 on the side. The space was now needed for another LFO.

"You want it in that hanger!"

"Yeah, thank you!"

Charles returned to the seat and powered up the LFO. He knew the basics of moving one of these. He father allowed him to move many of them in the garage. He pressed some of the controls lightly and felt the movement of the Phoenix. He pressed his foot on the peddle but he could not reach all the way. Slowly, the Phoenix walked towards the hanger where he let it down and the large prongs held the massive machine in place.

"You shouldn't be playing with that, kid"

The man startled Charles once again. He hollow eyes pierced Charles' body like razors and he quickly got out of the cockpit.

"Sorry, Morita wanted me to move it"

He said his words quickly and ran away"

"What do you mean I have to make an appointment?"

Holland yelled at the secretary.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Jobs and Mr. Woz are not available at any time of the day like that"

"I'm telling you; just tell them Holland is here to see them!"

"Sir, with respect, I'm telling you, you need to make an appointment and come back in a few days"

As Holland and the Secretary were arguing, Eureka walked off into the corner. She peered into it and found Jobs walking towards their area. She ran up him.

"What can I do for you, young miss?"

Jobs was gentlemanly and held out his hand.

Eureka happily took his hand and took off her hat. Jobs' face ran cold and he seemed to back off a little. He forced a smile but Eureka could tell the confusion in his eyes.

"Long time no see, Jobs"

Eureka said her words lightly. Jobs signalled some of his companions to leave them alone and he advanced further to find Holland still arguing with the secretary.

"Ms. Belith, this is a welcome guest. Don't worry, I'll handle this"

"Took you a long time Jobs"

"It's always like you to drop by unannounced"

"Sorry, bad habit"

Jobs welcomed Holland and Eureka into his office. The interior was pure white with an array of certificates hanging on the wall. There were several photos of him and Woz presenting technology. As soon as Jobs got on his chair the smile he wore suddenly disappeared and he took a long, deep breath.

"I think I have an idea why you're here, Holland. And Eureka, I know about Renton too"

His face was serious.

"Think I'll skip the details, you want to come back?"

"Holland, I've thought about this day for weeks now. I understand what you're trying to do, but I've come to understanding that time's moved on. We're not what we used to be"

"Jobs, look at the world now. We may have stopped Dewey from destroying everything, but this world is still dying. We, as the Gekko State have the obligation to fix it"

"Obligations… Holland, we can't do anything more. What do you plan to do? How do you plan on fixing this world?"

"I- I'll-"

"You don't even know how… Holland, I respect you as a leader, but I have things I have to do now. Nearly 400 employees depend on me. I'm sorry, but I want to decline your offer"

"So this is what the Gekko State's become, huh?"

Holland got up from his seat. He could barely contain his rage and almost stormed out of the office. Eureka watched as Holland left.

"Jobs, I know things have changed after such a long time. But even if it changed so much, there are some things that will never change. Those memories of everyone together will always remain there. Even if there's nothing I can do, I still want to do something about it, even if I can change it a little bit, no matter how small the change, I still want to make that change. So if you change your mind, the offer still stands"

Eureka quietly left her seat and exited the room. Jobs sat there silently and pondered on Eureka's words. On his desk, just left of his working space was a picture, a picture taken after the second summer of love; a picture of the whole Gekko State.

Holland stormed just beside the transport and let loose a punch into the hull. A large dent followed. The pilot quickly panicked and went to tend to his dented vehicle.

"What the hell was that for?"

Holland did not speak; in fact he looked like he wanted to punch the side even more. The pilot quickly threw himself at Holland.

"No, no, no, no, no, I just got this thing waxed; I am not letting you ruining it!"

Holland really wanted to punch the hull again when Eureka grabbed his shoulder. He looked at her and she shook her head. His rage seemed to calm down a little. The pilot also relaxed a little. Just as Holland was about to leave, he kicked the hull with full force then went back into it. The pilot stood there staring at the two dents. He dropped to his knees.

"My… my baby"

The pilot took out two hours trying to pull the two dents out with a plunger but the best he could do was bend some of the metal back out. Feeling like he was unlikely able to do more, he gave up and returned to the pilot seat. Holland was still letting out a malicious aura so the pilot didn't even wanted to lecture him about the damage done to his precious transport. As the transport lifted off the ground, Eureka could see in the distance Jobs was waving them good bye. Eureka waved back despite him not seeing it. During their flight, Holland got a hold of Hap and Stoner, since they had kept in regular contact, Holland knew exactly where they were.

"Hap, Stoner, listen, I knew this is out of the blue, but I really need you around back on the Gekko-Go"

"What's with the sudden change of heart, Holland? Something special happened?"

"Yeah… I thought this was a good chance to fix the world, that's all"

"I'm always ready to capture the Gekko State's adventures, tell me Holland, who else is coming back"

"I'm afraid now it's just you two"

"What happened to the others?"

"Let's just say it's just been too long"

"I see, well, I can't refuse a favour from a childhood friend. Stoner, I'll meet you around Todai station. Holland you can pick us up from there"

"It might be a little boring, but I guess it'll fun"

"Thanks, you two"

"How's Eureka holding up?"

"I'm fine, and thank you"

"No problem, that's what the Gekko State is for"

Holland and Eureka gave their good byes and cut the line. Holland entered the cockpit and found the pilot still fuming mad.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the dent"

"I have to rip open the seats and insulations to fix that… I'm not exactly happy about it"

"I'll help you later but I need a course change, at Stuwart-49 I need you to take a right"

"To Todai station?"

"Yeah"

"Okay then"

The pilot picked up the map from Holland and began to study it. He ran his fingers through the page and found a course through some mountainous regions. He picked up the radio.

"This is Betta-606; I am making a course change at Michael-49, copy?"

"Roger that Betta-606, proceed with your course"

The radio replied back. Carefully, the pilot turned the steering column and a pass came into view.

"We should reach Todai station is five- no, six hours"

"Holland, I was wondering if you found the kids?"

"Kids?"

"Maurice, Maeter and Linck"

"I didn't get any information on their whereabouts. From what I remembered, they loved to travel around and even Renton had a hard time keeping track of where they were. I can only guess where they are"

"What's even worse is ORA is making their move, catching up with them would be next to impossible"

Eureka looked disappointed, since her "revival" she had not seen her dear children. Only the pictures from the albums gave her an idea of what they looked like. He reminisced on how much they had grown but the burning fact that she was in none of their pictures irritated her. Again she could not find the answer, only questions and regret. The vast empty skies seem to laugh at her now. They knew everything, they hold all the secrets and they have seen it all. She was envious and the pain in her chest returned. It was much stronger than it was last time.

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoyed it.


	8. Chapter 8

**A Gift from the Heavens:**

It had been four days since Holland and Eureka departed from Tresor and four days Charles spent at Tresor. The Gekko-Go was almost completely rearmed and it never seemed to look so good. Being on Richard's good side and that fact that they helped Tresor a fair bit in the past meant all the engineers gave it their all. What used to be an outdated ship once again looked like the staple of modern warships. The gleaming gun turrets and the vast array of missile silos almost glowed. While it largely resembled its pre-second summer of love incarnation, there were many minor alterations. The shielding technology from the Ginga-Go, though shrunken down, had also been installed. Off just to the side the Arkson sat. Still in its prime and still looking like it was ready for a fight.

"Bored?"

"Oh, hi Frankie"

The blond man held out a can of coffee. Charles took his offer and they both gulped down their drinks.

"When was the last time we spoke?"

"I think about two years ago, when you came for the Repentance's ref board. What happened to it, I didn't see it in your hanger?"

"We damaged it… Really badly and we were in a pinch. So we used it as spare parts for the others"

"You really go through a lot of LFO, don't you?"

"Guilty as charged"

"Tell me, is she still around?"

"With any luck, she won't be back for a long time"

"What's going to happen if she hears about my papa?"

"Very ugly things will happen"

Charles and Frankie continued their conversation as they looked on to the Gekko-Go. After taking a zip from his coffee, Frankie pressed a button on the device in his ear.

"Frankie here, wait – What? I'll be right there. Charles, Holland's arriving now, let get down to the hanger three"

"Yeah!"

The transport, with the dent, hovered over the landing platform before slowly coming down. The gears bent and the engines turned off. The door opened and Holland, with Eureka walked out. They were followed by Hap and Stoner. Several of Tresor's personnel went to greet them.

"Where are the rest of them?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to make due with Hap and Stoner for now. The Gekko State isn't what it used to be"

"I see, it may be problematic to operate the Gekko-Go"

"How's the refit going?"

"Almost complete, we only need to run some final tests"

Holland approached the Gekko-Go. The massive ship loomed over him, never had he been intimidated by the ship but this time there was an uncertain feeling in his gut. He watched silently as the technicians put the Gekko-Go through its paces. The engines fired off with incredible force and all the weapon systems responded with accuracy. Never in the lifetime of the Gekko-Go had it been this strong. However, without a crew, it was still a bird trapped in a cage. Holland continued to mope around the hanger.

"You know it's not good for your health. I brought you something cold to drink, dad"

Holland looked at his son who had grown so much. A sense of pride grew in him. Holland reached out and took the can from his son.

"Sometime when I'm alone I wonder if I deserve this"

"Why would you say that?"

"I've trampled on other people's lives, I've taken the future from others, and I've done even more despicable things to other people. I wonder if someone like me should even be walking now"

"You may have done terrible things in the past, but here you are. You're still alive and what you continue to do can only be decided by you. Atonement or not, it's all up to you"

"When did you learn to speak like that?"

"I guess I got it off you and mom"

Raymond replied with a wide smile. Holland grabbed his son's head rubbed his knuckles into them. The laughter from the two of them seemed to provide a small light in Holland's heart.

"You two seem to be having fun"

"Yeah, it certainly is a good time"

Charles sat just off to the side of the Phoenix. The giant broke down again when he moved it so it sat just as he did as it cold not return to vehicle mode. Charles punched the side of the Phoenix and heard the array of screws that fell in the hollow interior.

"Piece of junk"

"Thank you, how long do you think it'll take?"

"Given the damage? Two days at least; you know, it'd be better to get a new one. Given the condition and the upkeep required even a Mon-Soono is a better choice"

"It fine… As long as it's this child it'll be fine"

Eureka once again looked at the Phoenix. The silent eyes made it feel like it was almost sleeping.

"You should treat it better"

"No matter how you look at it, it's still is a piece of junk"

"This child can hear you"

"I know"

Eureka climbed on the Phoenix and sat in the cockpit once again. The feeling was completely different. It was pathetic, from the most advanced and cutting edge technology to duct tape. Eureka turned on the LFO and felt the rumble of the engine. Most models of LFO now sported the Jet feature that the Nirvash pioneered, but this thing was old even by pre-second summer of love standards. Two days had passed. Both the Gekko-Go and Phoenix were in prime condition. Eureka took the opportunity to fly in the Phoenix.

"It's a rickety unit so if you feel if anything is going wrong just call, we'll send a rescue team to look after it"

"I understand"

It felt like the briefing she'd get before testing the Nirvash, only instead of testing some new feature, it was testing if the thing even held together. Eureka cautiously got into the cockpit once again. The grinding of the metal continued as it transformed. It carried its ref board under its arm. Eureka made the Phoenix run before jumping on its ref board. The ascend onto the sky was smooth and soft. Eureka flew around the Tresor institute in a large circle; she closed off her eyes and began to feel the LFO's movement. This unit was different. The controls felt much more responsive than last time and the movement smooth. Eureka began to try out some trickier manoeuvres now and found the turns to be extremely tight and how precise one needs to be when making a turn. A little miscalculation and one may over turn. Eureka noticed other things as well. For a LFO like itself the over all frame was extremely light. No doubt it sported very little armour. Eureka was confident now. She looked all over and finally pushed the controls. The LFO flew and then fell.

"Wow, the cut-back-drop-turn. How rare, I've never seen a pilot pull it off in an LFO before"

Charles looked at the LFO lightly dancing in the sky. Eureka felt the flight stabilize. The top turn was still a bit tight. Without a doubt, this LFO was meant for speed; nothing more, nothing less. There were more buttons that did not operate the radar or any other instruments. She pressed one of them. To her surprise blades came out of the Phoenix's wrists, just above the hands. They created something of an electrical arc.

"Um… Morita, could you fire some targets for me?"

"Ah, okay"

Morita was caught off guard by the request but had some of the workers pull out a training launcher. It launched a series of three large discs. Eureka pushed the Phoenix, with its speed it easily caught up to the first of discs and she sliced it with not effort. Quickly she swung the arm backwards and cut the second one before stabbing the third right at its centre. The disc stayed on the blade before gravity push it through the blade. It cut through the disc like air. Feeling satisfied with the flight, Eureka landed on the field and held the arm closer to the cockpit. A frightening weapon at the hand of a maniac, but Eureka wondered how many lives this blade saved. With no weapons and no limbs, the pilot would fall to the ground, the parachute would soften the landing, and he could live to see his loved ones again. Eureka could image why Renton needed it to cut so well. She changed it back into vehicle mode and drove back to the test site. She stepped on the gas pedal and found the speed to be completely disproportional to its speed in the air. The engine could barely pump out half of the Nirvash top land speed. The ride itself was a completely different experience from standard LFO; for one, the seat which was really a motorcycle seat bolted down changed the experience one may have with a Terminus or even a Mon-Soono. As the Phoenix bounced through the woods Eureka a different rush, it was as if she was just gliding over the land.

"How was the flight, Eureka?"

"This child operates better than you expect"

"Are you sure it's not just you?"

"No, this child is the one that took care of me"

A worker from the Gekko-Go ran up the stairs where Eureka and Holland were having their conversation.

"Holland, I have two guests that say they knew you"

"Names?"

"They said you should just meet them"

"I wonder who they are?"

Holland and Eureka went downstairs to where the couple could be seen waving at them. Dominic and Anemone stood there with smiles on their faces. Eureka's heart felt heavy at the site.

"It's been a while, Holland, Eureka"

Dominic took a heavy sigh. Anemone quickly grabbed Eureka's hands and held them close. She then stared intensely at Eureka for a long time.

"It _really_ is you"

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We're just dropping by to see how's the Gekko-Go going

"What's the real reason?"

"We'd like to come with you"

"What?" Holland almost jumped up.

"You heard me, if you have me one board, I can get you access to things more easily"

"You I understand, but your wife too?"

"I heard you're short on pilots, so I'm here to offer my excellent services" Anemone puffed out her chest proudly.

Anemone took this time to grabbed Eureka's hand again and began pulling her away.

"I'm borrowing her for a bit"

Anemone's playful tone left them at awe. She began to run faster as she got further away from Dominic and Holland. After passing several doors and walls Anemone pulled Eureka into a bench just outside the building. She playfully pulled out a bag with sweets and offered some to Eureka.

"It's been fourteen years, hasn't it?"

Eureka did not know how to respond to Anemone.

"A lot has happened, and I'm still not sure what to make of it. Right now…"

"Its okay, Eureka. You don't have to hold it in now"

Anemone put her hand on Eureka's shoulder. Tears that Eureka did not even knew were there suddenly burst out. Eureka gently touched her face and found the tears to be very real. She tried to hide it but the emotion was now just bursting out. Eureka found it harder to breath. The tears were choking her and her heart. The pain returned and Eureka could do nothing but bawl her eyes out. She gripped Anemone's shirt and continued to cry. Anemone only patted her head. From a distance, they almost looked like sisters.

"That's it, just let it out. It's not good to hold it in you know"

Eureka continued to cry. Now matter how much she wanted, she could never return the time lost. After seeing how much the Gekko State changed, she realized how she returned to a state of oblivion. The fear of turning back into an emotionless doll tore her fragile heart apart. She had too much time to think. Too much time to put together how much of a misfit she was. Eureka did not even know her own son. Anemone offered the only familiarity and safe haven for Eureka. It was here Eureka could finally show her weakness. She cried for a long time, a very long time. At the very end of it, Eureka could find comfort from letting it all out.

"Some sweets after a good cry really hits the spot, doesn't it, Eureka?"

Eureka found the sweetest of them to contain a little bitterness. It was perhaps Eureka that was making them bitter. But Just as Anemone said, the burden on her shoulders became a little lighter.

"I feel a lot better now. Even though many things have changed, I'm glad we're still friends, Anemone"

"I still owe Renton quite a few things. I guess this is the only way I can repay him"

Before Eureka could reply to her comment, a girl ran up to Anemone. She had long hair and greatly resembled Anemone. No other possibility could come to Eureka's mind.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Eureka"

The girl swallowed hard. She took the hand that Eureka held out to her.

"It's nice to meet you too, I'm Mitsuki. You must be Charles's mother"

Her smile was warm and caring. Like her mother, her soft features and long hair would make many turn their heads. Though her eyes greatly resembled Anemone's, they lacked the red line that characterised Anemone's.

"You two really look alike"

"Thank you, I do take pride that my daughter took after me. If she were like Dominic… Our family would be in trouble"

"Mom! Dad's not that bad… After all, if he wasn't up to your standards, you wouldn't even have married him" Mitsuki was really defensive of her father.

"I just like having him around as a lackey"

It was a mischievous joke. As Eureka watched the pair interact, she could not help but feel they had a normal family feeling; bonds that were formed and something that could never be broken.

"Eureka, this time we'll help you with everything we've got. It's something I've always seen Renton do"

"Thank you, Anemone. Thank you for everything"

"I wonder what kind of LFO Holland is going to get for the Gekko-Go?"

"Who knows, if he's smart he'll get some of the newer models like the 404 from the Eclipse series. I would know, I've personally flown one"

Anemone puffed out her chest again. They continued to make their way to the hanger where the Gekko-Go was held. Along the way Anemone provided education to Eureka about the newer LFO and KLF series. The Eclipse series was Tresor's way of providing the advances found on the Nirvash typeZERO to normal people. These were high performance LFO that sported the new Jet mode crossed with some of the weapons found on the typeTheEND. Since these were made from the original designs of the Nirvash series, they were so rare that most LFO enthusiasts would give up a limb just to see it.

"And that's why Holland needs to have them. You know, they really do look like theEND. They even agreed to the paint the one I tested black. You would be amazed at how much it looks like him!"

"The more you talk about it, the more I want to meet them. Ah! I think I see Holland over there"

"So, how's the great leader Holland going to run this thing?"

Anemone actually went up to the Gekko-Go and gave it a good kick.

"With no crew, I'm afraid the Gekko-Go's just going to sit here. It's a hassle to round up a good crew"

"I wonder if the great Holland is going to pull it off"

"Anemone, knock it off"

"It's always fun to tease Holland"

Eureka left the conversation. Holland, Anemone and Dominic continued to talk about the state of the crew but Eureka did not want to hear it. The sky was vast and the Gekko-Go still grounded. However, just off in the distance she saw a figure – a person. The person was coming in fast and it seems like he lost control of his parachute. Eureka made a heavy duck as the figure just glazed her. A loud thud could be heard after that.

"Ow, ow, ow… I guess I'm still not good with the ref board – Ah – Eureka, it really good to see you"

Eureka was dumbfounded.


	9. Chapter 9

**Key to the Cage**

The man who had nearly collided with Eureka struggled to get out of his parachute which by now had trapped him like a net. A kick here and some stretching there, the man still could not break free from his predicament. Eureka rushed over to help the man by pulling the sheets and moving them out of the way.

"So it really is you… I guess my Intel wasn't going crazy after all"

"Um… You would be…?"

The man took off some of the safety gear that obstructed his identity. After he took off his helmet, his stood up tall. The clothes he wore greatly resembled the set Renton used to wear. His hair was certainly longer than before but the base was still there.

"Maurice Thurston, at your service"

Eureka could not find the words. She simply moved closer and touched his face with her hands. He let out a smile, perhaps he could not find the words, but he remained silent; so different, yet so similar to the photos. Eureka embraced her child again.

"It's good to see you again. I never thought we'd meet again"

"I'm back"

Eureka was tearful again. Holland and the rest had just arrived after hearing Eureka's scream. After seeing who it was Holland stopped in his tracks to rub his hair in frustration.

"I guess you know about it"

Maurice turned to face Holland. He looked around to the surroundings like he was trying to avoid Holland's gaze.

"You know me. But it really was a shocker to hear about it. I never imagined…"

The proud and confident look Maurice had before seemed to wash away now to confusion. He took deep breaths and looked around to find Charles slowly approaching.

"If it isn't little Charles"

Charles continued his approach, his face twisted into tears and smiles.

"Brother Maurice!"

Charles made a jump to Maurice who caught his little brother.

"It must've been hard on you. Don't worry, I'm here now"

"Did you get into contact with Maeter and Linck?"

"Yeah, it seems like they didn't take the news too well either. They said they'll head back to Bellforest to help out"

"I see. I'm a little short on staff right now so I was hoping they would help"

"Renton and I always did way bringing the Gekko State back together would be troublesome. So how much we got"

"Talho, Raymond, Hap, Stoner, Eureka, Dominic, Anemone and myself. I don't think we have enough manpower to man the upgraded Gekko-Go"

"You can count me on board then. I'll put in some favours and see if I can get us some more people"

"That would be a great help"

"Tell me, how are Maeter and Linck doing?"

"They're doing fine… Safe and sound, like the war never affected them at all"

Eureka's expression lightened and she seemed to breathe a little better. Maurice began to rummage around in a small bag he was carrying.

"Looking for something"

"Yeah, I didn't just come here empty handed. I brought something that may help"

Maurice continued to move the things in his bag. It took him a great deal of time but he eventually took out a photo.

"Look at this"

Holland carefully inspected the photo Maurice just handed to him.

"Take a closer look. It's part of the complex that manufactured Orange"

Holland's eyes widen. The weapon that forced Kute-class coralians to appear and the anti-body coralians to attack: the Orange missile.

"But there's nothing left to hit. If they fire that thing at the scubs now… They'll destroy the planet"

"While it's not a good sign I found out they recently discovered it. To top it off, before they got anything useful from it the Federation army happened upon them. The had a bit of a battle there that ended with the destruction of the ruins"

Holland continued to study the photo. Evidently after the second summer of love he had personally visited the complex and the Gekko-Go was one of the ships that helped to bury it. However, it remembered the side of the ruin. Though Tresor destroyed all technical data about the Orange project the complex still had machines and technical readout on the missile itself. It was exactly when the Federation used warships to level the area.

"Even if we lucked out, we still have to hurry. I think we need to add this to the list of things we have to accomplish"

"The complete destruction of Project Orange, huh… I like it"

"If so hurry up we need to hurry with the preparation of the Gekko-Go, if push comes to shove, we may need to borrow some crew from the Arkson"

"Wow, I've never seen the Gekko-Go like this before"

Maurice took out a small camera and began taking snapshots of the Gekko-Go. Most notably, he took pictures of the interior and often compared his shots with images he had cut from ray=out.

"Charles, you seem to be happier with Maurice around"

Charles quickly changed the expression on his face. He did not realize he had a light smile on his face.

"Yeah… Brother Maurice… I have a close relationship with him"

"So where was Maurice all this time?"

"Stoner called some of his old buddies and Maurice has been all over the world taking pictures of everything. Stoner mentions some of Maurice's articles from time to time" Charles leaned against the rail. He watched the vast hanger the Gekko-Go was housed in.

"You want to come with me to the cafeteria? We could eat together"

"No thanks, I'm going to see what bro is up to"

Charles quickly ran away and headed into the Gekko-Go.

"Eureka, you have a minute" Anemone had come up from behind Eureka. It seemed to startle her.

"S-sure"

"There are a few things I have to tell you" Eureka blinked in confusion.

The Tresor cafeteria had the most nutritious meals of any place. Eureka could see all the meals were prepared with minimum fat and plenty of brain food. However as they entered the room Anemone headed directly to the desert table. She quickly picked up the sweeter foods.

"You really like your sweets"

"I can't get through the say with out them" Anemone said with a smile.

"So what did you want to tell me?"

Anemone took the time to look for a table. Eureka sat just across from Anemone. Eureka half heartily expected Anemone to finish her meal before telling her anything useful but was surprised when Anemone put everything down and had a serious look on her face. She began to speak.

"Eureka, up till now you've only met people you know. But I have to warn you, over these years, there are some people Renton knows that will hurt you if they learn you've come back. And I want you to know that you hear things that may hurt you as well. You have to prepare for that"

"I understand… It's always been like that I know-"

"No you don't, Eureka. It's not the same as before" Anemone's eyes were serious and they seemed to pierce her being.

"If that's so, I'll be depending on you, Anemone" Eureka warmly smiled at Anemone who gave a satisfactory smile.

As quickly as Anemone's serious side came out, Anemone quickly returned back to her normal self. Eureka pondered her words but decided to put them aside for now. For now, Eureka was among friends. After their meal, Anemone excitedly led Eureka to another hanger. She was rather excited by the news she received. Upon arriving at the hanger, Eureka found a large Federation battleship open its hanger bay.

"Stay here, Eureka. I've got an amazing surprise for you" Anemone quickly dashed off into the hanger bay. For a few minutes Eureka waited impatiently for Anemone's surprise. And much to her surprise a black Nirvash drove out of the hanger. She was stunned. There was not mistaking, the shape, the shades, everything looked like the Nirvash. Suddenly, Eureka could hear Anemone's voice from the LFO's speakers.

"Meet the 202 of the Eclipse series: the Zenith" the LFO transformed into its humanoid form.

It had a striking resemblance to the Nirvash. The body was a complete copy of the original but the main difference was the head. It did not have the three "horns" on either the typeZERO or the typeTheEND. It had no eyes, or face plate. In its place was a round head with what seems to be a trailing shadow. The LFO was painted with black, red and purple features the chest had parts that come from the typeTheEND's design. Eureka could only guess that it was a small calibre laser canon.

"Surprised, Eureka? This child is really something. Fast, strong, and tough. One of a kind!" Anemone's booming voice was filled confidence and pride in her personal unit.

"It really looks like the Nirvash!" Eureka found herself shouting back to Anemone.

"Get on, I'll show you what it can do!" The LFO bent down and placed its hand on the ground.

Eureka climbed on top and allowed it to bring her to the cockpit. The cockpit was something to marvel at. A completely different experience from the Phoenix, the inside composed of highly sensitive instruments. To top it all off, the seating was extremely comfortable and the overall design looked all too professional. Eureka felt a little jealous at Anemone's fortune. Eureka sat in the pilot seat for a moment and felt the controls. Again they painfully illustrated the difference between cutting edge technology and some backyard project. Anemone had also been very adamant in demonstrating the Zenith's climate control system, something that the Phoenix lacked entirely. The cockpit was in the same vein as the Terminus series but with much more instruments that measured things that even Eureka was a bit sketchy about. But seeing how it is a test-type LFO they needed the data.

"Take it for a spin, I'll watch" without another word Eureka stepped on the accelerator and the LFO roared to life.

The unit had an amazing balance. The precise movement allowed it to dance circles around structures and even the smallest of detail was within range. At take off, the ref board split in two to give the same movement of theEND. The Zenith did not require the pilot to be so focused on timing and the movements were smooth and controlled. Even the landing was completely different from the Phoenix. Throughout the entire ride, the cabin was completely quiet. After their joy ride, Eureka could see the Phoenix in the corner. She was almost ashamed to see it. Anemone seemed to pick up on this.

"Don't worry, Renton gave me a run for my money on that Phoenix of his. Honestly, I never expected something to move like that!" It was a poor attempt to win some points back for the Phoenix.

"Tell me, does it fly?" Eureka found the question to be burning now.

"Fly? What do you mean by that? Oh, you mean the jet-mode" Eureka nodded in acknowledgement.

"Not really, this is an older version of the Eclipse series, so it doesn't have that feature"

"At least they are the same in that respect" Eureka thought.

Eureka and Anemone watched for the remainder of the day as Holland tried to round up crew members. Most of the engineers turned down his offer since he could not come up with a good enough scientific reason for them to so. Soon it became a game to see who would lose count of the number of people that Holland had asked. Both of them knew this well, the people here were engineers, not freedom fighters or some political force. Holland finally gave up for the day when the evening rolled along. Eureka found it amazing how Anemone could make anything fun, but most of their entertainment came at the expense of Holland's suffering.

"Hey Maurice… Do you think I could've made a difference?"

"There are things that you can't do, even if you know how. You don't need to think about it; after all, it's not your fault. Renton's just that kind of guy" Maurice patted Charles on the head.

"I wonder if he was always like this?"

"He acts that way when people are in danger… You should see him when he just met ma-I mean Eureka" Maurice began to tinker with his camera again.

"I guess you can say that's why he's so popular with _her_" Maurice stretched out the word as he spoke.

"I guess so" Charles heard a ringing in Maurice's pants.

"Maurice here… Wait, what? You didn't – No, that's not what I meant… Oh, I give up. Where are you now? You're here already!" Maurice slapped his phone shut.

Taking Maurice's lead Charles followed him to the landing pad where Holland, Dominic and Eureka already were. Two transports held position over the landing pad, both waiting for the queue to land.

"What's this about, mom?" Charles ran next to her.

"I don't know, Holland got a call and he started running here. Seems like someone important is coming" Eureka looked at the windows to try and get a preview of the people on them.

The transports hit the ground with a thud and the rail opened up. The first two people to greet her eyes were that a lady with long blond hair, white skin and a pink and purple dress, and just behind her was a younger man with dark skin, a fuzzy hair style and sports clothes. Without a doubt, Eureka knew who they were. After so many years she still knew; the others that emerged as well; her children, and the Gekko State.


End file.
